LOGINAurelia POVThe air felt heavy as Fenrir remained in his wolf form, the weight of his presence settling over the training grounds in a way that was impossible to ignore. Conversations had died instantly, replaced by a stunned silence that lingered far longer than it should have. Everyone stared, some in awe, others with poorly concealed fear, their reactions varying but all rooted in the same realization: this was not something they saw every day.I found myself observing far more than those around me.It was not just the size of him, though that alone was enough to command attention. It was the details, the way his fur shifted with each movement, catching the light in uneven patterns, the unnatural glow of his eyes that burned far too brightly to be mistaken for anything ordinary. I watched the way he reacted to every sound, every subtle shift in the air, aware of everything around him in a way that felt almost overwhelming to witness.And most of all, I watched the moment he began t
Fenrir’s patience snapped before the silence in the room had time to settle.His eyes burned, a deep red glow breaking through as his wolf pushed against the surface, restless and agitated, ready to answer what it perceived as a challenge. The shift didn’t take him fully, but it lingered just beneath the surface, pressing forward, waiting.“You do not get to make assumptions about what I do and do not know,” he said, his voice low but edged with something far more dangerous than volume. “You have challenged me twice now, and I do not take lightly to that kind of disrespect. Human or not, I will not hesitate to take you down.”Aurelia didn’t flinch.She held his gaze as if the warning meant nothing, as if the weight of what he was carried no authority here.“You came to Valmere for our help,” she replied evenly. “And now you stand here threatening me, the Princess of Valmere.”
Fenrir stumbled out into the corridor, one hand pressed tightly against his chest, his breathing still uneven and heavy. Valeria followed close behind him, her earlier confidence gone. The sound of doors opening echoed down the hall as Rowan and Elias stepped out of their rooms at the same time, both immediately taking in Fenrir’s condition.They looked at each other for only a moment before Elias spoke first. “What was that?”Rowan’s attention shifted to Valeria, his expression sharpening. “What happened?”Valeria shook her head quickly, her frustration mixing with uncertainty. “I don’t know. One moment he was fine, and the next he was on the ground like that… and then someone screamed.”Rowan stepped forward without waiting for anything else, moving to Fenrir’s side, while Elias mirrored him on the other. “Can you walk?” Rowan asked quietly.Fenrir didn’t answer at first, his jaw set as he forced himself upright, though the tension in his body made it clear the pain hadn’t fully lef
Valeria had started in the direction of the room she had first been shown. Her steps slowed as she reached the door, her hand brushing lightly against the handle before she pushed it open and stepped inside. Valeria lingered for only a moment after the door shut behind her, her hand resting against the wood before she let it fall. She stood there, letting her eyes move across the space again as if something might have changed in the time she’d been gone.The room looked exactly as it had before. Everything in place, everything untouched, everything arranged in a way that made it clear it had been prepared quickly, and without any real consideration for who would be staying in it.Valeria stepped further inside. She had expected, at the very least, that someone would come for her. That they would correct it. That they would show her to the room they had so confidently claimed would be better suited for her.Perhaps they had forgotten. Perhaps they intended to move her in the morning. O
The tension that followed Aurelia’s words did not settle; it shifted, tightening just enough for Valeria to seize it.“That’s what this is, then?” she said, her gaze fixed on Aurelia before flicking briefly toward Fenrir. “You stand there, looking at him like that, and expect him to accept it without question?”No one answered immediately, but Valeria didn’t need them to.“Where we come from,” she continued, her voice sharpening as she leaned forward slightly, “that isn’t respect. You don’t hold an alpha’s gaze like that unless you’re challenging him.”The King’s voice entered the space before anyone else could respond, calm but immovable. “You are not in the Iron Citadel.”It wasn’t loud, yet it carried enough weight to still the edge of her words without raising the tension further. The reminder sat there, simple and undeniable.
Dinner carried on in a steady, composed rhythm, the kind that did not require attention to hold itself together. The table had been set with care, though nothing about it felt excessive or designed to impress. Everything had its place, and everything remained there, untouched unless it needed to be moved. Servants passed through quietly, refilling glasses, replacing dishes, never interrupting the flow of conversation, only supporting it.The King spoke first, as expected, his tone even as he addressed them. “I trust the journey here was manageable.”Rowan inclined his head slightly. “It was.”The King gave a small nod, accepting the answer without pressing further. “Travel tends to reveal more about a place than remaining within it.”“It depends on what you’re looking for,” Elias replied, his tone easy enough to fit into the setting without disrupting it.“And what were you looking for?” the Queen asked, her attention settling on him.Elias glanced briefly toward Fenrir before answeri







