The dining room had transformed. What started as a diplomatic dinner had evolved into a war council as midnight approached. Maps replaced dinner plates. Wine glasses stood half-empty beside tactical notes. The air hummed with determined energy as Alpha voices discussed troop placements and supply lines.
I fought to keep my eyes open, stifling my third yawn in as many minutes. My body was nestled against Kaelen on the large sofa where we'd relocated for comfort. His arm curled protectively around my shoulders as he pointed to a mountain pass on the map spread across the coffee table.
"If we secure these northern routes," Kaelen was saying, "we can ensure supplies continue to reach the refugee camps while establishing a defensive perimeter that Valerius would struggle to penetrate."
Alpha Azrael nodded, his ice-blue eyes calculating. "My scouts know those mountains better than anyone. We can position lookouts along the ridges here and here." He tapped the map with his long fingers.
