The palace was filled with uncertainty the night in chaos, but as the sun rose, the trouble seem to have passed. The guards moved with tight precision, checking every wall and border again and again. The air still smelled of smoke, but the Alpha house stood strong.

Damon stood in the courtyard, his coat half-torn, his face dark with exhaustion. Behind him, Darius and Cassien gave orders to the soldiers while Damien spoke to the scouts who returned from the forest. Everyone looked tense.

“We ...