*Chapter 86: The Vote for Permanent Merger - Full Version*Word count~1505~ wrds.*Part 1 – Dawn Over the Valley, 2:00 AM*The valley had never been this quiet. For fifty years, the five packs slept with one ear open, listening for raids, for betrayal, for the sound of another pack’s footsteps. Tonight, the only sound was wind moving through the pine trees that separated Blackrock cliffs from Riverpack shores.Vikram couldn’t sleep. He stood on the balcony of the Council Hall, the stone cold under his bare feet. Below him, the festival grounds lay empty. By noon, those grounds would be full. Every wolf, old and young, from every pack. They had come not for food, not for trade, but for a vote that could end five centuries of separation.He thought about Year 0. The day he signed the temporary Accord with a trembling hand. Back then, “temporary” meant “until we find a reason to break it.” Now, one year later, “temporary” felt like a lie they had told themselves.The door creaked. Meera
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