Chapter 118

• The pack’s council chamber was a vast, echoing space, its high ceilings and ancient stone walls bearing witness to countless decisions made for the safety and future of our pack. Tonight, it felt more like a labyrinth of secrets and shadows than a place of governance. The atmosphere was thick with tension as Eli and I stood before Councilor Whitman, who had agreed to meet with us under pressure.
• Councilor Whitman, a tall man with graying hair and a stern demeanor, sat behind his large oak desk. His eyes, though weary, held a sharpness that made me wary. Eli stood beside me, his expression serious as he prepared to question Whitman about the troubling clues we’d uncovered.
• “Councilor Whitman,” I began, trying to keep my voice steady, “we have reason to believe that there’s a traitor among us, and that this traitor is providing information to the Blackthorns.”