Fate's shadows

 "They will arrive for us covered in darkness.".

The strained quiet in the council room broke with Aria's speech. Her pack's leaders huddled in a circle, shadows from flickering torchlight covering their features. Every word she spoke held the weight of the war they all felt about to arrive.

"We have dealt with their kind before," one elder hissed, his scarred visage evidence of years of fighting. Still, this seems different.

"It is different," Luca replied, going forward to stand by Aria. His eyes, keen and hard, surveyed the room. "This isn't just about territory or power. It's about survival; they will do anything necessary to see us drop.

The chamber burst in whispers, mistrust and terror coursed among the assembled wolves. With a commanding presence that had grown second nature, Aria raised her hand silencing them.