#Chapter 154: The Party

Aria The dining hall of the pack house was warm and filled with laughter, the rich scent of roasted meat and spices still lingering in the air. Plates were scraped clean, wine glasses half-full, and the soft glow of candlelight flickered against the wooden walls. It wasn’t a grand celebration, not by any means, but it was good enough for us. And in the middle of all the chaos surrounding the pack, our future, the impending war—at least we had this moment. Wendy had apparently insisted on cooking most of the meal herself, and I could still hear her scolding Lucas for swiping his finger through the cake’s frosting before dinner had even started. He had spent the evening bouncing between chairs, stuffing himself with food far too rich for a five-year-old, until Darren had finally carried him upstairs to bed. Now, the rest of us had drifted into the den, where the party continued. Darren sat across the room, a bottle of whiskey open between him and Li