Ruby
The night air was thick with burning wood and damp earth. The fight's aftermath still lingered in the courtyard, the tension between the Alphas hanging in the air like a storm waiting to break.
I had won.
I had proven my strength.
But something still felt wrong.
The way some of the Alphas had bowed their heads too quickly. The way Darius had submitted but hadn’t spoken a single word after. The way Victor, the lean, sharp-eyed Alpha of Shadowfang Pack, had watched me with something cold in his gaze something unreadable.
Manson stood beside me as we walked back toward the castle, his golden eyes sharp. “You did well today.”
I exhaled, rolling my sore shoulders. “Did I?”
He stopped, his hand reaching for mine. I almost pulled away, but his grip was gentle, steadying. “They respec
