The main hall was packed. Council Members, pack Alphas, Crescent Moon Guards, Witches, and Trusted Humans stood side by side beneath the old chandeliers.
Della sat beside Alexander, with Lily and Jax on her other side. Across the table, Rhea leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, radiating a simmering tension.
"She got close this time," Alexander said. "Too close. We got lucky with Ainsley's premonition. If we had been unprepared, the world would be hunting us all down."
"And she won't stop now," Tina added. "She's angry. She's unraveling."
Terrance, ever the voice of grounded wisdom, stood and addressed the room, squaring his shoulders.
"Here's what we know. The humans saw us. Not as monsters, but as defenders. They didn't panic. They didn't scream. They recorded it. They believed what they saw."
