Nyra's POV
I hated parties, not because of the noise. Not because of the endless political conversations. Not because of the Alphas pretending to discuss kingdom stability while secretly measuring each other's strengths and weaknesses. I hated gatherings because they exposed things wolves worked very hard to hide.
Fear.
Ambition.
Jealousy.
Weakness.
And tonight, all four seemed determined to surround me.
I stood beside Damon with a practiced smile on my face while Alpha Rowan droned on about trade routes and military cooperation. Around us, nobles laughed, servants moved through the crowd with trays of wine, and powerful wolves formed temporary alliances that would likely be forgotten by morning. Normally I excelled in situations like this. Normally I enjoyed them.
Tonight, however
