Aiden's POV
"The pack is bleeding, Alpha Aiden," one of the chief council members barked, slamming his hand on the oak table. "These rogues are staining our soil with the blood of our own. It's a disgrace."
I clenched my fists under the table, the leather of my chair creaking as I tightened my grip.
"Our stability is crumbling," another member added, his voice rising in a frantic heat. "For three years, we were untouchable. Now? Everything is falling apart."
"Lucian is the rot at the center of it," a third voice chimed in, and the room erupted in murmurs of agreement. "He's the head of those scarred bastards. Take him down, and the rest will scatter like rats."
Every word felt like a lash against my skin. I hated that Lucian was the shadow over my life. It was bad enough that he was touching what was mine—my mate—but now he was dismantling the pack I had spent my life building.
