Killian’s POV

The stones are silent.

That’s what scares me most.

They’ve always hummed—low, ancient, like a heartbeat beneath the land. Every alpha feels it the moment he steps too close. Power recognizes power. Authority recognizes memory.

Tonight, there’s nothing.

No warning. No resistance.

Just stillness.

I stand at the edge of the council chamber, hands braced against the cold stone table, and breathe through the violence coiled in my chest. My wolf is restless, pacing, ...