#Chapter 131: Caught in the Middle

Lauren The meeting clearing was packed—wolves shoulder to shoulder, some still smudged with ash from border patrols, others whispering behind tense, closed mouths. The low growl of unease rumbled beneath it all, like a thunderstorm waiting for the first lightning strike. Tall trees loomed at the edge of the gathering, their skeletal branches reaching inward like spectators at the gallows. Cold torchlight flickered across scowling faces, casting jagged shadows that danced with every shift and movement. The scent of pine and damp soil mixed with something sharper—fear, or maybe pride, or the refusal to show either. This wasn’t a celebration. Not a festival. No ceremonies. No songs. Alexander had summoned the pack because Mark—my brother—was still alive. Because, against all odds, we had a shot at bringing him home from his prison. If anyone would just listen. “Theo gave us everything,” Alexander said, his voice cutting through the buzz like a blade. He stepped forward, chi