Aria Blackwood......

The morning air was thick with expectation.

By the time I reached the great hall, it was already overflowing. Long tables stretched from end to end, heavy with bread, roasted meats, and steaming pitchers of coffee. Warriors from every pack crowded the benches, laughter and growls blending in the cavernous space.

But the center table… that was where the true weight sat.

Damien, our future Alpha, lounged with forced ease, flanked by Serena—draped in silk very ...