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Chapter Ten

Author: Wounded Heart
last update Last Updated: 2025-09-17 13:55:51

Matteo's POV

The council chamber is a storm tonight. Their voices batter me from every direction, each elder convinced their fears outweigh the rest. I stand at the center, the firelight licking at my crown, yet there is no warmth in it, only the cold weight of their judgment.

“Your Majesty, the Vanderbilts must not be summoned!” one roars, his fist crashing against the oak table.

“They are unruly, defiant...dangerous to our pack!” another snaps, and soon the chorus builds, a tide threatening to drown me.

I clench my jaw, letting their words cut into me, though my chest twists with doubt. Could we truly afford this? The Bloodshed Pack bleeds warriors every day, while these old men cling to pride like it will shield them from the blade. Arthur Vanderbilt defied me once, spat on my authority before the eyes of many. That wound still festers. Yet even I cannot ignore the truth: perhaps an alliance with his bloodline is the only thing standing between us and ruin.

I draw a breath, ready t
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