Alpha Callen:
The sun hung low over the arena, casting long shadows over the dirt floor. The air was thick with tension—a smothering weight that seemed to cling to my skin. I stood at the edge of the arena, arms crossed over my chest, eyes narrowing as I scanned the crowd gathering on the stone benches.
My people.
Or at least, they had been.
Now, I heard their whispers carried on the breeze. Soft, but not soft enough.
*He’s finally going to die.*
*Brooks will free us.*
*This is our chance…*
I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood. Ungrateful worms. They had all cowered beneath me for years—feared me, obeyed me. Now, they thought this boy—this whelp—would be their savior?
I’d show them what happened to false hope.
My fingers brushed the cord around my neck, feeling t
