The palace was calm the next evening when Alpha Tame announced that he would return to his kingdom. The celebrations were over, and the air carried a quiet heaviness that none of them could ignore. Rage had volunteered to accompany him back, and though Draven offered more guards, Tame refused politely, saying he trusted Rage more than a dozen warriors.

That night, they shared a private banquet — only four people in the dining chamber: Alpha Tame, Draven, Liora, and Rage. The table was small ...