The council chamber was silent.
Too silent.
Ivy stood at the center of the circular hall, her fingers curled tightly into the fabric of her gown. The ancient runes carved into the stone floor glowed faintly beneath her bare feet, responding to the dangerous power coiled inside her veins.
Across from her, Rowan knelt.
The former Alpha King.
Once the most feared and respected ruler in the western territories, now brought low by the very mate he had publicly rejected.
His head was bowed. His shoulders, once broad with dominance, were tense, rigid like a warrior preparing for execution rather than a king seeking mercy.
Around them, the elders whispered among themselves. Some watched Ivy with fear. Others with hatred. A few with awe.
But all of them waited.
Rowan lifted his gaze.
His
