Chapter 12 "The Diplomatic Game"

• That afternoon, Desi found herself in her father's study, surrounded by the leather-bound law books and political treatises that had shaped Whitmore family philosophy for three generations. The room smelled like old paper and furniture polish, with subtle notes of the bourbon David occasionally sipped while reading late into the night.
• "Tell me about the Riverside Accords," he said, settling behind his massive oak desk with the kind of casual authority that made even Alpha wolves listen when he spoke.
• Desi straightened in her chair, recognizing the shift from paternal guidance to political education. "1987. Territorial dispute between the Montague and Capulet packs that threatened to destabilize the entire Pacific Northwest region."