"I'm not handing it over."
Arthur slammed his hand onto the Alpha's Seal box, his eyes burning crimson. "The Silver Pine Alpha title was passed down to me by my father. The Alliance has no right to take it."
"This is a freeze, not a final revocation," the Inspector countered, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Refusing to surrender the Seal is an act of treason against the territory."
Arthur swept his gaze over the Great Hall. "Who dares to touch me?"
In the past, no one would have dared. He was the Silver Pine Alpha. The man who had stood on the Moon Altar on his coming-of-age day, accepting the submission of thousands of wolves.
But now? The Elders were silent. The patrol guards hesitated. Even Lydia had been dragged off to the side hall to await interrogation.
Aiden stepped f
