Chapter 42 The First Stand

• The roar of unity still echoed across the Grand Plain, but as dawn broke, the exhilaration of the Grand Council gave way to the grim realities of war. Thousands of wolves, once disparate and often antagonistic, now formed a single, vast, and somewhat unwieldy army. Coordinating them, balancing their unique strengths and navigating their lingering prejudices, was a monumental task.
• The War Council convened in a hastily erected command tent near the Great Stone, its ancient carvings seeming to watch over their deliberations. Elara, Lucian, Liam, and Kael sat alongside Alpha Lyra, Jaren (Borin’s fierce Beta), Alpha Kaelen, and a stoic elder representing Alpha Rhiannon.
• "The attacks are heaviest along the Sunstone borders," Jaren reported, pointing to crude maps drawn in the dirt. "Valerius's refusal to fight leaves a gaping wound in our lines. The corrupted forces are pushing hard through there, trying to split our territories."