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"So, what exactly happens at this shindig?" he asked, leaning subtly into my touch. "Is there a dress code? Parliamentary procedure? Do I need to curtsy?"

Phoenix's lips twitched. "It's formal, but not that formal. Each pack will present their alpha and key members, issues will be raised, and we'll vote on unified action."

"And where do I fit in?" Danny asked, his tone carefully neutral.

This was it. This was where I knew he was going to lose it. But before I could say anything, Kaylan dropped his voice. “Ben needs you here. He's refusing to attend even though we all asked him.”

To my astonishment Danny considered this, then glanced at me. "Is that okay? If I stay with Ben?”

I catalogued the twitch of his lips, snorted and looked at Kaylan. “He saw right through that.”

Danny waggled his eyebrows.

"Now," Phoenix continued, "about Torrel and his bears. They'll expect to be presented as part of your pack, Bayer. Are you prepared for that?"

I tensed, feeling Danny's curious gaze. "I haven't decided yet."

"Decided what?" Danny asked, looking between us.

"Whether to accept them as part of our pack," I explained, choosing my words carefully. "It's complicated. They left my father's leadership, and now they've returned at a suspiciously convenient time."

“Well yeah,” Danny said. “But not even you blame him for that.”

I sighed and looked at Phoenix, who smirked. “Em calls me out on all my bullshit, welcome to the club.”

"You think they're working with the revenant?" Emery asked, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"No," I admitted. "According to what we know, the revenant is incapable of planning anything. But the timing is...concerning, and even though we know someone or something is helping him, it can't possibly be a shifter." We would have scented them immediately.

"What does your instinct tell you?" Danny asked, his hand finding mine under the table.

I considered the question, letting my bear's intuition surface. "That Torrel is hiding something. But it's impossible to think he's aligned with the revenant. His hatred for Alessandro was well known."

"Could be a double bluff," Kaylan suggested. "Pretend to hate Alessandro to throw suspicion off himself."

"Or he could genuinely want to help," Danny countered. "Not everyone has sinister motives."

"In my experience," Simeon said dryly, "most people do."

The conversation continued as we debated strategies for the Gathering. By the time we finished lunch, we still hadn't resolved the question of Torrel's bears, and shifters would be arriving in a few hours.

"I need to speak with them," I decided finally. "Face to face, before the Gathering. I'll know more then."

Phoenix nodded. "Take Simeon with you."

I glanced at Danny, reluctant to leave him. "I'll be fine," he assured me, reading my hesitation. "I promise to remain horizontal and boring."

"You could never be boring," I murmured, kissing his forehead before standing. "I won't be long."

"Bring me back something interesting," he called as I headed for the door. "Preferably gossip or chocolate."

I chuckled despite my worries. "Both, if I can manage it."

Torrel was waiting on the porch of the gamma house when Simeon and I arrived, almost as if he'd been expecting us. His dark eyes watched our approach with careful neutrality.

"Alpha Olsen," he greeted, inclining his head slightly. The gesture was respectful but not submissive—the greeting of one leader to another.

"Torrel," I replied, keeping my voice even. "We need to talk."