Alaric was seated at his desk, deep in thought, when his phone buzzed beside him. He glanced down at the screen, noticing Evelyn's name flashing. A small sigh escaped his lips as he picked it up, already suspecting what the call might be about.
"Evelyn," he answered, his voice calm but with an edge of anticipation. "What's going on?"
"Alaric," Evelyn's voice came through, slightly breathless. "I just found out something important. The Hargrove family is planning to gather rogue families from the outskirts of the city. They're trying to rally support from the wilder packs to bolster their forces."
Alaric's expression darkened, though he wasn't surprised by the news. "I know," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Your father mentioned it to me earlier."
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line before Evelyn spoke again. "So you're already aware."