Layleen
"I don't see why I should explain anything to you, Alpha Ragnar," Storm's raspy voice drifts through the closed door. He tries to sound composed, confident even, but after years of being forced to read people—their voices, their expressions—I can tell without a doubt that he's struggling to mask his growing anxiety.
A heavy silence follows, stretching unbearably, thick with tension that seems ready to burst through the very walls. I exhale shakily, an involuntary reaction, just as Alpha Ragnar finally speaks.
"I'll tell you why," he says, his tone so unnervingly calm that it sends a shiver down my spine. "The King is willing to turn a blind eye to your pack's activities as long as they remain on neutral ground and don't threaten to spark a larger conflict. However..."
He pauses—deliberately, dangerously.
"When you slaughter the Alpha of a recognized pack and... abduct members of another, things tend to get complicated."
