The stare-down between the two powerful beings stretched on like a drawn bowstring ready to snap. It was as if their very souls collided, clashing with every glare—neither willing to yield, neither willing to show the slightest hint of weakness.
The air itself seemed to thicken, heavy and suffocating. Warriors on both sides shifted uneasily, torn between awe and dread. One wrong word, one reckless move, and the entire pack could be drowned in bloodshed.
At last, the silence broke when Aldus's voice, deep and commanding, cut through the air.
"I'll grant you your wish, Alpha," the Lycan King declared, his tone laced with authority that brooked no defiance.
"Open the gates for him. Let him search the entire pack. If he is so desperate to prove me a liar, let him see with his own eyes."
