AURORA
The sun had barely cleared the horizon when breathless Raven burst into the packhouse, his expression very serious.
âLuna Aurora,â he began, the strain in his voice apparent. âSome news from the Orionâs pack.â
I straightened my back and picked up on my pulse. âWhat is it?â
He did stop and then looked aside. His glance fell on the council chamber. âThey have put them in deadline mode. They shall withdraw their force if only. if Alpha Dane submits to what
Kaida demands.â
I clenched fists hard enough to almost break my palms. The air inside the room was still without the warmth the morning had, but I saw a tangle of anger and impotence inside. âThatâs all? Have you heard more?â
The scout swallowed hard. âThey have given us little time again, which is dawn tomorrow. If there is no response by then, they will take whatever they want with force.â
I nodded to him and headed to the council chamber.
The council was already seated. Piper and Warrick were sitting on each end of the table with tension etched across their faces as there was a tension in the air. Trajan and Evelyn stood by the map of our territory, his arms folded.
âWhat do you mean, an ultimatum?â Piper asked me when I told her the scoutâs message. âWhat does that even mean âSubmit to their terms?â That sounds like a trap.â
âItâs not a trap,â Evelyn said, her voice calm but firm. âItâs
a show of dominance. They want us to surrender, plain and simple.â
âAnd you think we should?â Warrick shot back in incredulity. dripping from his every word.
âNo,â Trajan said, his unyielding eyes pinned on them. âBut we have to think about what happens if we say no.
I slapped my hand on the table, silencing their bickering. âEnough!â I said sharply. âWe donât have time for this childish argument. Dane is fighting for his life, and now our whole pack is on the line.â
âWell, what do you propose?â Piper asked with an attitude. âYouâve been pretty quiet on a plan.â
âI think we should stand our ground,â I said, my voice firm. âWe have faced worse than this. If we give in now, we will never regain our strength or our dignity.â
Trajan stepped forward. âAurora is right. Negotiation is a gamble, but outright submission will destroy us. We need to be strategic about this.â
The tension in the room eased a little, but uncertainty still lingered.
Later, I went to check on Dane. He was pale and his breathing