DEMIEN'S POV:
I left the room, my heart full of happiness. My steps were light as I walked down the narrow corridor towards the hall, where the elders of the pack council had called for a meeting. The news had arrived suddenly, a messenger at my door with a brief note that carried the weight of urgency. Yet, as I made my way forward, my thoughts were not on the council’s summons but on the joy that warmed my chest. I was eager, perhaps even a bit proud, to stand before the pack. But that joy did not last long.
As I neared the hall, the sound of hushed voices made me pause. The voices belonged to the maids — young, gossipy, always in the shadows but hearing everything. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but their words carried to my ears like a cold wind through an open window.
"Did you hear?"
