The morning sun streamed through the tall windows of the royal dining room, casting long shadows across the polished wooden floor. The air was thick with tension, the kind that made it hard to breathe. Kael stood silently near the fireplace, his arms crossed, his jaw clenched so tightly it looked like it might shatter. His usually confident demeanor was replaced by a simmering rage, barely contained beneath the surface.

Darius, the Alpha King, paced the room like a caged predator, his ...