Chapter 299: Chapter 299

URORA

Piper sat across from me in the council room, her arms crossed tight to her chest, her eyes locked on the table.

Warrick had walked in after her, he rested against the wall, his jaws clenched.

The tension was heavy in the air, tangible, but I had to have answers, and I had to have them now.

“If you’re sure about what you heard, then tell me,” I said, firm yet low so as not to alert anyone outside the room.

“Yes,” Piper said, her voice even. “The message Calla sent is not about destabilizing us, it is to do with Dane. They are targeting him, and they think he is a weak link because of his impulsive decisions.”

Warrick finally broke the silence, sharp with exasperation. “If there is a plot against Dane, why isn’t he taking this seriously? Why are we here talking instead of taking some action?

I leaned onto the table and let out a sigh. “Because running headfirst into every problem is what got us here in the first place. I need solutions, not more chaos.”

Piper seemed to hesitate before she spoke again, glancing between Warrick and me. “Rowan and Lila. They’re just with cach other day in and out. I really don’t think that’s all right.”

Warrick raised an eyebrow. “Rowan? Again? Piper, is this about the pack, or is it about you not happy to see him with her?”

Piper’s face flushed. “No, I’m not jealous. I’m just. cautious. We all know Rowan’s past… I don’t want him manipulated again”

“Enough,” I cut in, my hand rising. “This isn’t about Rowan or Lila right now. Our focus needs to be on Dane and the pack’s safety.”

Piper fisted her hands and muttered under her breath, “Easier

said than done.”

Almost immediately, Dane and the other council members

entered.

I stood at the head of the table, looking around the faces of my people, with whom I’d earned a familiarity with over the years. Today, trust felt like it was gonna break any moment.

“We have an option,” I began, my voice elevating above the murmur of the council.

“We can negotiate with the rival pack and take a portion of the land in contention or go to an all out war to take it all.”

Dane was on his feet in an instant, scraping the chair against the floor as he rose. “Negotiation is a weakness, Aurora. You think they’ll respect us taking scraps from their table?”

“They’ll respect us if we keep our pack intact!” I fired back, the irritation welling in my stomach.

Trajan interrupted me with a steady but firm voice, “Both ideas have some credibility, but rushing into a war without an afterthought of what that can bring upon the people is unthinking.”

Dane laughed. “While standing by and doing nothing is unmanly.”

The room erupted into a cacophony of arguments, members taking sides, voices raised and overlapping. Some supported Dane’s ambition, stating the pack needed to reclaim its legacy. Others backed my proposal, saying that saving lives was more crucial than land.

I raised my hands for silence.