Alpha Thane’s POV
The storm raged outside, a feral symphony of thunder and wind that mirrored the power I would soon command. I stood at the highest tower of the palace, watching the lightning tear across the night sky. Each bolt was a promise, a reminder of what was coming. Soon, the world would tremble at my feet.
For years, I had meticulously planned this moment. Every sacrifice, every calculated betrayal, had been for one purpose: to ascend. To shed the fragile limitations of mortality and become something far greater. The ritual was nearly ready, and with it, my transformation.
But even as the storm roared, I felt a nagging unease. I hated the sensation, hated the cracks it revealed in my otherwise perfect facade. Elana’s warnings lingered in my mind, whispering doubts about Willow and the strength of her connection to those around her.
“She is nothing,” I growled to myself, gripping the stone railing until my knuckles whitened. “A pawn. Just like her mother.”
"I know Alpha
