Thirty Minutes Earlier…
In the grand ballroom, an imposing figure sat silently at the head of the hall. He was known not for his brute strength, but by the sheer mass of his broad, rotund body.
He occupied the throne-like chair with an air of quiet authority, his sharp eyes scanning the room as guests indulged in the evening's lavish refreshment.
His face was full, almost cherubic, and his belly stretched the seams of his finely embroidered tunic.
He was the Alpha of the North, Alpha Thadius, and though his appearance often evoked muffled snickers or covert grins from those gathered, none dared voice their thoughts aloud.
Beneath his jolly facade, Thadius was a man of sharp intellect, known for turning tides of battle with a well-placed whisper, or outwitting enemies who have tried to steal his pack with strategies none would expect from someone of his stature.
