Kael’s POV
I stood in the center of the Great Hall, my boots planted firm on the cold stone. My heart was a hammer hitting my ribs, but I didn't let my face show it. I'm an Alpha. I've spent my whole life learning how to be a wall that nothing can break.
But right now, that wall felt like it was made of thin glass. Behind me, the throne looked like a joke. It didn't matter who sat on it if the men in white robes decided to burn the whole house down.
Valerius moved like a shadow. He didn't walk so much as he drifted. He stopped a few feet from me, and the smell of him hit me again.
It was like old paper, cold iron, and a grave that had been left open too long. It made my wolf, his hackles already up, want to tear out the man’s throat. But I couldn't move. I couldn't even growl.
"The
