**Chapter 77: The Unraveling Edge
The change in Kael was subtle, but to Ronan, it was as obvious as a crack in the Keep's foundation. The Alpha's stillness was no longer the quiet of a coiled spring, but the deep, patient focus of a hunter studying new terrain. After the Crimson Paw spokesmen had left with a dangerous new purpose in their eyes, Kael had not returned to the map. Instead, he stood by the window, watching the subdued, fractious courtyard below.
"You just armed a wolf and pointed it at our enemy's back," Ronan said, his voice low. It wasn't a challenge, but a statement of terrifying fact.
"A wolf whose pups were slaughtered by that same enemy," Kael replied, not turning. "Grynn's hatred for the Northern Purists is now a sharper weapon than any loyalty to me. I'm just giving it a direction."
"And if that direction turns back towards us?"
