Chapter 18 — The Queen the Pack Did Not Expect
The pack feels it before they see it.
The bond’s shift ripples outward through territory and bloodline alike—an undeniable pulse that snaps wolves to attention and sends murmurs racing through dens and patrol routes.
By the time Kael and Lyra return, they are already waiting.
The central clearing is full.
Torches burn low despite the daylight. Wolves stand shoulder to shoulder, tension tight as drawn wire. The Council is there too, faces hard, eyes sharp with calculation.
Lyra steps forward beside Kael.
Not behind him.
Never again.
Their daughter sleeps against her chest, unaware that her very existence has rewritten the rules of power.
A hush falls.
Kael’s dominance rolls out—not crushing, not threatening—but absolute.
“I did not
