**Paige’s POV **
The hall hums with quiet voices when we enter the first set of doors. Conversations hush as soon as we step through the internal doors. All eyes turn toward us, sharp, assessing, and curious. I swear I can feel the dominance rolling off every man in here.
I thought I’d seen enough TV board meetings and courtrooms to understand the type of situation I was walking into, but this… this is something else entirely. The wolves in this room don’t need clever words to assert authority. Their very presence does it for them.
Ryder’s stride is confident, his emotions steady through the bond. Callen moves to my other side, relaxed but alert, his body angled protectively between me and the nearest group of strangers. Remy and Parker walk just behind us, their silent watchfulness like a wall of support.
The hall is smaller than I expected. It’s more like the other cabins that’s been repurposed into a meeting space.
A massive wooden table sits in the centre of the room. I notice claw marks scarring the tabletop. The scratches strangely give the solid–looking furniture character rather than ruin it. Heavy chairs surround the table, each one different, like they’ve been gathered from a dozen different places over the years. In the middle sits a few glass jugs filled with water, surrounded by mismatched glasses.
To my right, I catch a glimpse of an open doorway leading to what looks like a small kitchen. Another door on the left probably leads to a bathroom. The whole place feels more lived–in than official.
On one side of the table are five men, each of them looking serious. Two men sit while the others stand directly behind them, and then two small groups of what I assume are their enforcers line up against the wall further back. They rise from their seats as we approach, nodding in respect to Ryder and Callen. I can already tell which ones are Josh and Marcus by their positions. Both broad–shouldered and both radiating the kind of arrogance that comes from being obeyed without question, both of them have a seat.
“Josh is on the left with his betas, Cory and Caleb, behind him. Marcus is on the right with his Beta, Lance.” Parker’s smooth voice floats into my mind, and I give a subtle nod, grateful for the information.
Callen pulls out a chair for me, and I sit, with Ryder and Callen taking a seat on either side of me. Remy and Parker stand behind us the way the other Betas do.
“I’d like to thank you all for agreeing to meet with us,” Ryder speaks first.
Josh’s gaze flicks from Ryder to me, his brows lifting slightly. “You brought your Luna?” he asks, his tone mild, but I don’t miss the undercurrent of condescension.
Ryder’s jaw tightens. “I did.”
Marcus sits and leans back in his chair, smirking. “I didn’t think you allowed humans at the grown–up table.”
A few of the others chuckle quietly. My pulse jumps, but I force a calm smile, speaking up before Ryder can respond. “Well, I didn’t think Alphas still measured strength by who gets to sit where, but here we are.”
The laughter dies instantly. All gazes seem to lock on me then, interest sparking in their eyes.
Ryder glances sideways at me, and though his face stays neutral, I feel the flicker of pride through the bond.
Callen clears his throat, breaking the tension. “This is our Luna, Paige,” he says. “She is welcome at our table in our pack.”
Josh studies me for a long moment before giving a slow nod. “Very well, I’m not here to judge how you run your pack.”
Marcus chuckles under his breath. “No, but you’ve got to admit it’s unusual. A human Luna mated to four wolves?” His gaze drifts down the line of my mates before returning to me, assessing me in a way that makes me want to growl at him the way my men do. “That’s… ambitious.”
The way he says it makes my skin prickle. I know what he’s really implying, and judging by his smirk, he wants me to rise to it.
Josh tilts his head, curiosity flickering in his eyes. “Must cause a bit of unrest among your females. Four high–ranking males, and not a single unmated one left? That can’t be good for morale.”
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