Devon POV
The council chamber was silent. Breathless, tense silence. Not the kind that screamed chaos, but the one that waited. Every eye was on me. Everywhere, holding still. Even the fire in the braziers seemed to flicker quieter. I felt it all pressing in on my skin, expectation and hope.
Then Elder Throne stepped forward, his movements slow, deliberate, his weathered face carrying the weight of decades. He gave a tight bow, the old custom still sacred even now.
“Alpha,” he said, voice low but clear, indicating the great seat at the head of the chamber.
I hesitated for just a beat, but I walked toward the chair, each step solid, echoing across the stone floor. I took my seat. The Alpha seat. My seat.
And they bowed.
All of them.
Even Elder Kael.
My heart swelled at that. Fara st
