REED POV
The castle loomed against the dusk—just as cold and regal as I remembered. Grey towers spiraled into a bruised sky, and the ancestral scent of pine, steel, and blood drifted through the heavy gates like ghosts coming home.
The gates of the Alpha Palace loomed ahead like the open jaws of some ancient beast. Stone walls ran jagged through the mountain's edge, old magic humming in every crack. Wolves lined the entrance, warriors in full ceremonial armor, bearing crests of their bloodlines—packs from every corner of the territory. Some bowed as I passed. Others watched. Measured.
I didn't care.
I wasn't here to play prince.
The guards parted as I crossed the threshold, my boots thudding against polished black stone, echoes of my return ringing through the great hall.
My boots echoed down the stone corridor leading to the throne chamber, flanked by banners of my lineage—each one baring the silver crest of the Crescent Fang Pack.
