Adrian's POV
The air felt thick with expectation, the scent of wolfsbane incense curling through the grand halls of the palace like a serpent. Shadows danced across the towering stone pillars as torches flickered, casting a golden hue over walls once cracked and crumbling.
The palace had changed in the weeks since the takeover, no longer a ghost of its former glory but a living monument to power. Red and gold banners, symbols of strength and unity, hung proudly from every ledge and arch. To the council, it was the dawn of a new age. To Alana, I knew they were just silk-wrapped chains.
I stood by the long arched window of the council chamber, staring out as the blood moon bled into the sky, its edges smeared with haze. The hour was near. The ritual, the union. My claim.
"The council is waiting," came my Beta's voice behind me. Quiet, cautious.
"They can wait," I said, my tone like steel drawn in the dark. "This ritual is mine. They follow, not dictate."
