Malrik POV

Aunt Dashira had, of course, contested my right to the position. She came armed with every possible justification experience, age, loyalty to the pack but her arguments held no weight.

Succession wasn’t about merit. It was blood. And as long as my father had left behind an alpha-born heir, Dashira’s ambitions were nothing more than empty noise.

Still, that didn’t stop the bitterness from festering.

“Is it possible she’s doing all this just to prove I’m unfit?” I ...