STEPHEN
We were thrown back as the stone walls buckled, and dust filled everywhere instantly. I was on my feet before the debris had even settled, my wolf snarling inside my head as my vision sharpened. Julian was coughing beside me, his crown skewed on his head, and I reached down to pull him behind a fallen pillar.
"Stay down!" I ordered, but he was already reaching for the small pistol he kept tucked into his formal jacket.
Moments later, a group of masked attackers burst into the hall. These were rogues. They ignored the screaming guests and started targeting Julian directly. My guess was they wanted to destabilize the human capital by killing their newly crowned king before the ink on his decree was even dry.
I bared my teeth and stepped in front of Julian, tapping my communicator
