Anila's POV

The meeting turned out to be shorter than expected. But a gathering of the Nine Elders is a grand spectacle I've rarely witnessed. Typically, a meeting requires just three or more Elders to proceed.

This meeting, however, delved into the weighty matter of replacing the Alpha, a situation even I found daunting on behalf of Garrett. Watching the departing procession, some Elders seemed more concerned with hurrying back to their territories than with the ceremony. Each person bore a different expression, but they all concealed hidden motives.

One of them, an elegant man clad in a pristine white robe, waved a farewell to me. He was none other...