The heavy silence in the Council chamber shattered the moment Lord Vaylen finished speaking.
A dozen Council guards instinctively stepped forward, their hands dropping to the hilts of their swords. It was a fatal mistake.
Varik let out a roar so deafening, so saturated with pure, unadulterated Alpha dominance, that three of the guards immediately dropped to their knees, clutching their ears. The King’s eyes bled from gold to a terrifying, glowing crimson. His claws fully extended, tearing deep gouges into the marble floor as he stepped in front of Silra, shielding her entirely with his massive body.
"Take one more step," Varik snarled, his voice a demonic, vibrating promise of death, "and I will paint these walls with your blood. Every single one of you."
The chamber descended into abs
