The dining hall buzzed with tension thick enough to slice. Silverholm's most powerful Alphas sat around an elegantly set table, their postures stiff, their eyes calculating. Every wolf here represented territories crucial to our cause against Valerius—if we could secure their loyalty.
I studied Alpha Kael from across the table while pretending to focus on my barely-touched plate. The large wolf with steel-gray hair and penetrating dark eyes hadn't stopped watching Kaelen all evening. Something about him had been off since their return from the human camps.
Next to me, Kaelen squeezed my knee under the table—our silent communication. He'd noticed too.
"The wine is excellent," I said casually, lifting my glass of water since I couldn't drink while pregnant. "Alpha Kael, I understand this vintage comes from your southern vineyards?"
