"I claim my birthright as Alpha of the Graystone pack," I announced, my voice carrying across the clearing. "But I will not force anyone to follow me. Those who wish to remain with the pack, meet me at the ancestral grounds in three days' time. Those who choose to follow Dominick into exile may do so without retribution."
Murmurs rippled through the Graystone ranks. This wasn't traditional—an Alpha claiming victory only to offer choice rather than demanding submission. But I wasn't a traditional Alpha.
Uncle Mateo approached, pride shining in his eyes as he draped a blanket around my shoulders. "Your father would be proud," he murmured. "Both of your skill and your mercy."
As the formalities concluded and the gathering began to disperse, I felt rather than saw the Steel twins approach.
