The great hall of the palace had never felt so hostile.
Seren stood in the public gallery, looking down at the sea of noble faces below. Three days ago, she had returned from the north with a tentative peace agreement. Today, the wolves she had hoped to unite were tearing each other apart with words instead of claws.
Lord Vesper stood at the centre of the floor, a parchment scroll unrolled in his hands.
"The proposed Human Rights Charter is an abomination," Vesper declared. "Not because we seek cruelty, but because we seek *order*. The species hierarchy has existed for a thousand years. Wolves rule. Humans serve. This is not oppression. This is nature."
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the conservative benches.
Seren gripped the railing of the gallery. Beside her, Lysa shifted uncomfortably.
"You don't have to stay," Seren whispered.
