103. Nearly Illegible (Clay POV)

The veins in my temples throbbed as I paced the living room, the phone pressed to my ear. "If neither my beta nor the current Rendon alpha wants the land, what exactly is the dispute here?" I practically growled into the receiver. The council member on the other end cited some archaic legalese that hardly made any sense.

I wanted to reach through the phone and shake him.

"Two days is the maximum I will agree to," I said firmly, my jaw clenching.

A glance at Luke told me all I needed to know. He was wrapped in a blanket like a life-sized burrito, his eyes half-lidded and distant, his skin a shade paler than usual. The man was already dissolving into a physical hell, the first intense wave of withdrawal symptoms seeping into his muscles.

My chest tightened.

He was in for a rough ride, and the timing of this damn council meeting wasn't helping.

Lexi walked in then, carrying a water bottle and a sense of purpose in her eyes. Looking at Luke, she approached him like a mama bear,