Kieran stood at the tall window of his study, hands clasped behind his back, his gaze fixed on the slow fall of snow outside. The silence in the room wasn’t peaceful — it was waiting. Tense. Coiled. As if the walls themselves were holding their breath.

Behind him, Orrin stood in the doorway. The Beta hadn’t spoken yet. He knew better than to interrupt Kieran’s silences. But tonight, the weight of court whispers was too heavy to ignore.

“She’s turning the court against you,” ...