The Continental Council's working group on succession protocols met in mid-summer at the neutral grounds, bringing together Alphas and senior advisors from a dozen territories. Arianna arrived with Thomas and Ruth, prepared for what would likely be weeks of debate about formalizing processes that most packs had historically resolved through violence or political maneuvering.

"This should be entertaining," Thomas observed as they surveyed the other delegations. "Half these Alphas have never met a governance problem they couldn't solve through intimidation."

"Then they're about to have an educational experience in collaborative policy development."

The first session confirmed Thomas's assessment. Traditional Alphas like Kristoff immediately opposed any formal succession protocols, arguing that...