Chapter 31 Whispers And Convictions

• The immediate aftermath of the Council meeting was a whirlwind of hushed conversations, suspicious glances, and thinly veiled animosity. Marcus Thorne had retreated, but his agents were everywhere, spreading his version of events, painting Elara as a madwoman and Lucian as a disloyal son. The Crimson Moon Pack was a crucible of tension, loyalties now visibly fractured.
• "He'll try to isolate us," Lucian predicted, his jaw tight as he and Elara discussed their next moves with Liam and Kael. They had gathered in Liam's cramped, scroll-filled room, the only place that felt truly secure. "He'll send his own envoys to the Alphas, twisting our words, sowing fear."
• "Which means we must move faster," Elara countered, her luminous silver eyes gleaming with conviction. "The seeds of doubt were sown, but doubt is not conviction. We need to turn that doubt into understanding, and that understanding into alliance."