Chapter 8

• Rose's POV
• While Father met behind closed doors with Alpha Damian and his men, I remained outside, pacing the courtyard beneath the growing weight of the late afternoon sun. The air was thick—humid and heavy, like it, too, was holding its breath.
• Every time I glanced at the doors to the council chamber, my heart squeezed tighter. What were they saying in there? Was it going smoothly, or was everything on the verge of unraveling into chaos? The memory of Damian’s furious threats still echoed in my mind like a storm that refused to pass.