The festival didn’t quiet so much as focus.
The music softened, drums slowing to a steady, reverent beat, and conversations around us faded into expectant murmurs. I felt it before I understood it—a shift in attention, a collective breath drawn by hundreds of people at once.
Kael was being called to the entrance of the cathedral.
I watched as people subtly stepped aside, opening a wide circle near the front of the cathedral. Faces turned upward, toward the steps carved from pale stone and starlight. Pride shone openly now—no fear, no distance. Just trust.
Trust in their leader... Their Alpha.
Kael released my hand gently, his thumb brushing my knuckles once before he stepped forward. The touch lingered long after he was gone. Lyra appeared at my side, slipping an arm through mine, her
