By morning, the story had already changed.
Glosh heard it in the whispers that rippled through the camp like sickness—how the northern Alpha had defied her authority, how he had questioned her command in front of soldiers, how he had threatened unity. By the time the sun rose fully, Kael was no longer a man.
He was a problem.
She stood before the assembled army, spine straight, face carved from ice. Armor gleamed against her skin, the crown resting heavier than it ever had before. Every eye was on her. Every breath waited.
Kael was brought forward in chains.
That had not been part of the plan.
Her chest constricted, but her face didn’t move.
“Kael of the Northern Territories,” the herald announced, “you stand accused of insubordination, treasonous intent, and incitement of dissent a
