"Did you notice? She needed two separate transfers to reach that amount—nine thousand five hundred, then five hundred more. She didn't even have enough in her own stores."
"I think Lyra might have truly lost her senses. She spent more time in the dens than anyone this past year, and now at season's end, she gets nothing? Not a single mark of reward, and she has to give tribute on top of it? I would lose my mind too."
Their words stung like silver against bare skin, but every syllable fell within my expectations.
Soon enough, the pack liaison Lily came to summon me. The Alpha wished to see me.
I entered Aurora's private chambers within the central den. She was draped in fine furs, her golden eyes bright with satisfaction, her Alpha scent thick and commanding in the enclosed space.
When she saw me, she threw back her head and laughed, the sound echoing off stone walls. Then she crossed the room and clapped a hand on my shoulder, her grip firm enough to remind me of the power difference between us.