The journey back to our camp was tense and silent. The hopeful atmosphere that had surrounded us on our way to the ancient oak had dissipated, replaced by a heavy cloud of disappointment and barely contained anger. Alpha Donk marched at the head of our group, his posture rigid and his tail held high in a display of dominance. Beta Jerome walked close behind him, occasionally shooting suspicious glances my way.
As for me, I trailed at the back of the group, my head low and my thoughts in turmoil. The meeting had been a disaster. Instead of finding common ground and working towards peace, we had only managed to dig ourselves deeper into conflict. And somehow, I had ended up at the center of it all.
When we finally reached our camp, Alpha Donk turned to address the group. His voice was cold
