He didn't stand. Didn't need to.

His voice was a low, grinding thing, like stone on stone, and it carried through the hall with the casual authority of a man who'd been in power longer than most of these Alphas had been alive.

"Pretty speech."

The momentum stopped.

"You talk about unity. About coalition. About standing together."

He uncrossed his arms.

"Fine. I agree. The Purifier threat is real. An alliance has merit."

I waited.

There was a but coming.

You could hear it building in his voice like thunder behind a mountain.

"But why you?"

He stood now. Slowly.

The way large things move. Deliberate, heavy with implication.

"You've...