The Maid the Alphas Couldn't Forget
The obsidian was warm, alive under my palm.
“Remember,” the old wolf said, his voice fading into the dark. “The crown is not the price. The blood is.”
I reached for the crown with both hands, the silver burning against my fingertips.
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Above the ridge, the figure crouched low, their eyes glued to the fissure. They saw the faint silver glow pulse through the cracks in the stone, saw the mountain tremble.
The shadow had been waiting years for this moment.
They stood slowly, their hand brushing a small smooth black stone nestled in their palm. They took a step forward, their boots silent on the dead grass.
The time had come.
The Queen was giving up her crown.
And the shadow was ready to take