Lyra's POV
As the heavy oak doors of the royal suite slammed shut with a deafening finality, they instantly severed us from the frantic murmurs and suffocating political tension of the Great Hall. The very moment the iron latch clicked into place, the carefully constructed, stoic facade I had maintained before the Council of Elders shattered, leaving me entirely exposed to the overwhelming, predatory reality of the Alpha King.
I barely had time to draw a single breath before Fenrir threw me back against the solid wood, his massive frame caging me in with zero hesitation, zero gentleness, and absolutely no pretense of romance. Gripping the heavy, reinforced leather of the Vanguard uniform I had just proudly worn to humiliate his son, his calloused hands violently tore it down the center.
