The silence that fell over the courtyard was absolute. Elder Thomas remained frozen, waiting for me to speak, while Valerie’s smug smile tightened, confident that her trap had closed around us.
I held the broken silver amulet tightly in my fist, my mind racing. If I unleashed my true royal aura right now, the elders would be silenced, but the entire werewolf underworld would descend upon this territory before nightfall. My grandfather’s enemies would know exactly where to find the hidden heiress.
Before Elder Thomas could demand a final answer from Draven, the heavy iron gates at the edge of the courtyard groaned open. The low, synchronized hum of a convoy of sleek, black SUVs cut through the tension, their tires crunching heavily over the frozen gravel.
But it wasn't just a random arri
