Kaelen POV
The scouts returned throughout the afternoon with increasingly concerning reports.
"Theron's forces are shifting east, Alpha King," the lead scout reported, spreading a hastily drawn map on the war room table. "Thousands of them. Vampires, thralls, mercenaries. They're not just moving toward the Thornwall. They're fortifying positions. Building encampments. This isn't preparation for a parley. This is preparation for war."
I studied the map, noting the strategic placements. He'd positioned forces at every major approach to the Thornwall. Every escape route. Every advantage point.
"He's surrounding it," Gregor observed, leaning over the table. "Creating a perimeter. Anyone who goes to that parley will be trapped inside."
"That's the point." I straightened. "He wants us vulnerable. Wants to control the environment completely."
"Then we don't go," the sharp-faced council woman said firmly. "We cancel the parley. Tell him to come here if he wants to talk."
