IAN
The old stone walls of the council chamber were too silent for my liking.
They stared back at me like witnesses, cold and unmoved, as if they had seen too many alphas before me, some who bent, some who broke. I wasn't planning on being either.
I sat on the center throne, the carved wood groaning slightly under my weight, fists curled on the armrests as the council members filed in like obedient sheep.
One by one, they bowed, their hollow words dripping with the false sweetness of diplomacy.
Blake stood beside me, posture tight, eyes flicking between the faces. He knew me well enough to sense the heat simmering under my skin.
Finally, the first to step forward was Elder Garreth, our trade representative, a man who always looked like he was weighing numbers, not loyalty. He offered a stiff smile, one that didn't reach his eyes.
