They dressed me like a symbol.
Layers of dark fabric. No crown. No jewels. Just the mark on my neck, still faint, still debated. I could feel it burning under my skin as I walked.
The hall was full when I entered. Every eye turned.
No cheers. No bows.
Just watching.
I felt it then—the truth Derek hadn’t said out loud.
They weren’t here to welcome a Queen.
They were here to decide if I deserved to breathe among them.
Derek walked beside me. Close enough that his presence pressed against my side. Far enough that no one could mistake it for comfort. His face was unreadable. King first. Mate second.
Jax wasn’t there.
The absence hit harder than I expected. It left my wolf unsettled, pacing under my skin like it had lost its shadow.
We stopped at the front.
Derek turned to the pack.
