Aveline and Gabriel returned to her pack's territory in the dead of the night under the cover of darkness. The village was scarily quiet, but the unease between them was visible. Tensions had been boiling gently for weeks, and the air felt thick with the threat of conflict and the message they received of Darian's invasion of her pack.
As they approached the central hall, murmurs of discontent at Aveline among the pack members became louder. A small crowd had gathered, and voices among the crowd were raised in anger. At the center stood Rowan, a senior pack member loyal to Thorne.
"This is unacceptable!" Rowan shouted, his fist pounding against a wooden table. "We cannot trust someone who's aligned herself with outsiders, who is barely available in our pack. Aveline is leading us straight to ruin!"
Aveline walked and pushed her way through the crowd, her voice firm. "What's going on here?"
