Maximus's POV
The balcony stretched wide before me, a black mouth opening to the chaos beyond. The marble beneath my shoes gleamed under the pale wash of moonlight, cool, still, and untouched—so unlike the scene that unfolded below. My Alphas and warriors were pouring into the night like a living tide, snarls splitting the silence, their claws flashing in the dark as they clashed with the rogues who had dared to trespass on my land.
Fools.
I rested my palms lightly on the stone railing, posture relaxed, gaze calm, as if the world below was not a battlefield but a stage for my entertainment. The screams, the growls, the wet rip of teeth sinking into flesh—all of it rose up to me like a song. A song I had heard too many times to be stirred by anymore.
I gave one order, and one order onl
