Night settled slowly over the estate.
The courtyard fires burned low while the last voices of the gathering faded into quiet corridors and shadowed paths leading back toward the pack village.
The wind carried the faint smell of smoke and pine through the tall stone windows of Alessandro's office where dim lamplight stretched across polished wooden floors and maps spread carefully across a long desk that had witnessed countless strategic decisions during years of war and uneasy alliances.
Alessandro stood near the window.
His hands rested behind his back while his gaze drifted across the dark forest surrounding the estate where the moon had begun rising above the trees like a silent witness watching wolves rebuild their lives after the chaos of blood and betrayal.
Behind him the office door opened quietly.
Marco Vitale stepped inside.
