FAZER LOGIN"Your Majesty, the emissaries from the eastern packs have arrived. They're requesting an audience."I looked up from the pile of documents on my desk—land disputes, trade agreements, requests for aid. The work of a Queen was endless, but I'd learned to find peace in the rhythm of it. Every signature, every decision, every meeting was a step toward the kingdom I'd promised."Send them in," I said.The emissaries were wolves I didn't recognize—a young she-wolf with sharp eyes, an older male with a graying beard, a warrior with scars crisscrossing his arms. They bowed as they entered, their expressions a mixture of hope and wariness."Queen Selene," the she-wolf began. "We represent the eastern packs—wolves who've lived under the shadow of the noble houses for generations. We've heard of your reforms. Your justice. Your promise of a new kingdom.""And you want to know if it's real.""We want to know if it's lasting." The older male stepped forward. "We've seen leaders come and go. We've
"Your Majesty, the council is assembled. The packs have gathered. The kingdom is waiting."Ivy's voice was steady as she helped me prepare for the most important moment of my life. The coronation. Not as a princess, not as a regent, but as the true Queen of the Silver Moon Kingdom."How do I look?" I asked, turning to face her.She studied me—the silver gown, the crown of moonstones woven into my hair, the mantle of white wolf fur draped across my shoulders. The Silver Flame pulsed beneath my skin, a constant warmth."Like a Queen," she said quietly. "Like the Queen you were always meant to be."The great hall was packed when I entered. Wolves from every pack, every village, every corner of the kingdom. The new council members. The resistance fighters. The servants who'd risked everything. And at the front, my family—my mother, Elias, Victor, all of them watching with tears in their eyes.Rowan stood beside the throne, his expression proud. The bond between us hummed, steady and stron
"The wounded are stabilized. The dead are being prepared for burial. We can march within the hour."Brenna's report was efficient, practical. She'd been a soldier long enough to know that grief had to wait until after the battle. I nodded, my eyes scanning the pass where so many had fallen."We leave half our forces here to defend the North. The rest come with me to the capital.""The capital?" Kael approached, his arm bandaged but his spirit unbroken. "You're moving against your father?""I'm moving against everyone who still supports him. The noble houses in hiding. The mercenaries who haven't surrendered. The council members who fled." I paused. "And my father himself. He's been pulling strings from his prison for too long. It ends now."Kael studied me for a long moment. Then he nodded slowly."I'll come with you. The Blackmane warriors will fight beside you.""Your pack needs you here. The North is still vulnerable.""The North has defenders. But you—" He paused. "You need allies
"The Ironclaw forces are here. Two hours out, maybe less."Brenna's voice was steady as she reported from the ridge. Below us, the pass stretched narrow and dark, its walls steep and rocky. We'd chosen the position well—a bottleneck that would force Draven's army into a single file, negating their numbers."How many?" I asked."Three thousand. Maybe more. They're bringing siege equipment—catapults, battering rams. They mean to crush the North in one blow."I looked at the gathered warriors—the Blackmane wolves, the hidden pack, the resistance fighters who'd answered my call. We numbered barely a thousand. But we had the high ground. We had the pass. And we had the Silver Flame."We hold the line here," I said. "We don't let them through. No matter what."Rowan moved to stand beside me, his hand finding mine. The bond between us blazed, steady and strong. "Whatever happens, we face it together.""Together," I echoed.The Ironclaw army appeared on the horizon, a dark tide of wolves and
"There. That's the meeting point."Rowan pointed to a cluster of abandoned buildings half-hidden by overgrown forest. We'd been walking for hours, avoiding roads and settlements, sticking to the wilderness. The bond between us hummed with shared exhaustion and determination."Who exactly are we meeting?" I asked."You'll see." He squeezed my hand. "They've been waiting for this moment for years."The buildings turned out to be an old hunting lodge, long abandoned but recently maintained. Smoke curled from one of the chimneys—a sign of life. As we approached, figures emerged from the shadows: wolves in practical clothing, their faces wary but hopeful."Rowan." A tall, scarred she-wolf stepped forward. Her gray hair was cropped short, and her eyes held the sharpness of a seasoned warrior. "We got your message. Is this her?""This is Selene." Rowan's voice was proud. "The Silver Queen. My mate."The she-wolf studied me for a long moment. Then, slowly, she bowed her head."I'm Brenna. I s
"Take them both."My father's voice was ice as the guards surged forward. I felt Rowan's hand close around mine, his body positioning itself between the attackers and me. Our bond blazed, a living connection humming with shared purpose."Stay behind me," he growled."No." I stepped forward, the Silver Flame erupting from my palms in a wave of searing light. "We fight together."The guards hesitated, their eyes widening at the display of power. But my father's voice cut through their fear."She won't kill you. She's too soft. Too weak." He smiled. "Take her."They lunged.Rowan met them first, his ash-gray wolf exploding from his skin. He moved with a ferocity I'd never seen—not just a warrior protecting his mate, but something primal and unstoppable. The first guard went down with a sickening crunch. The second followed.I focused the Flame, shaping it not into destruction but into something else—a wall of silver light that separated us from the remaining guards. They crashed against







