Chapter 27: The Alpha's Ascendancy

The eradication of the witches was not merely a victory; it was a catalyst. The legend of Emilia, the Human Alpha who commanded the loyalty of the most formidable Betas and wielded the strange, potent power of human technology, spread through the territories like wildfire. The Emberfall Pack was no longer just a sanctuary; it was a burgeoning empire. Its influence expanded, its borders swelling as smaller, weaker packs, seeing the tide of history, willingly swore fealty. They were not conquered by tooth and claw, but absorbed by the irresistible gravity of prosperity and security. Wesley watched this ascent from the crumbling edifice of his own legacy, the Shadow Claw Pack. Each report of Emberfall's growth was a fresh wound. 「This is my doing,」 he would think, staring into the cold hearth of his lodge. 「My failure forged her. My blindness provided the enemy that united them. I am the architect of my own obsolescence.」 His regret curdled into a desperate, self-flagellating