Alpha Derrick strode into the pack house with an air of authority, his sharp eyes scanning the gathered crowd.
Mona stood rigidly to one side, her arms crossed, while Kimberly remained at the center, silent and motionless.
The pack elders sat or stood nearby, their curious murmurs growing louder with every passing moment.
"Everyone, to the meeting room now," Alpha Derrick commanded, his voice cutting through the chatter like a blade. His tone left no room for hesitation.
Mona exchanged a brief glance with Kimberly but said nothing.
Kimberly followed silently as the group filed into the meeting room, her head held high despite the turmoil in her mind.
*They're treating me like a mystery to be solved, not a person who's just been through hell,* she thought, a bitter edge creeping into her heart.
The room quickly filled with murmurs again as Derrick sat at the head of the table.
