The Stare of Sovereignty The air in the Great Hall was so thick with unspoken power and political tension that the collective Pack scents of the thirty assembled territories were overwhelmed by the sharp, electric scent of Lila's dominance. She had shattered the formalities with her declaration of non-recognition, and now all eyes were locked on the dais. Rhys, leaning heavily on the throne, felt a fierce jolt of possessive pride mingled with the crushing agony of the Mate Bond. He could barely stand, but his golden eyes were fixed on Lila. His pain was momentarily forgotten as he registered the new threat: Alpha King Jason. Jason, the Alpha of the Confederacy, was no longer merely curious. His eyes, dark and assessing, were cutting between the vast wealth of the rough-cut rubies on

