[ALARIC]

Lana and I stood near the entrance to the ballroom, accepting the endless stream of greetings. I felt the pulse of the crowd—mostly genuine respect, a little awe, and the common undercurrent of curiosity that always followed the Alpha of Emberfell. For twenty minutes, we smiled and thanked those who weren’t too intimidated to approach us.

Finally, a momentary lull.

“This really is amazing, Lan,” I murmured, pulling her close. “How did you pull this off? You haven’t been ...