Seraphine's POV
The great hall Lia escorted me to was the center of the Palace, but now a near-ceremonial, suffocating silence hung between the thick stone walls. The cheerful, rumbling crowd from yesterday had been replaced by a far smaller, far heavier assembly: the Royal Council, a few Alphas (including the allied Kán), and the most influential elder members of the pack. They all sat around the long carved table, and the tension was palpable. This was no celebration; it was an official investiture.
As I entered beside Lia, the conversations immediately fell quiet. Every gaze turned to me, and I knew everyone was searching for the mark on my neck and shoulder. That was exactly what I wanted: the visible proof of my stubbornness and of the royal bond.
The burgundy dress Lia had chosen
