Back in the heart of the kingdom, the halls of Alpha Lucas's stronghold buzzed with tension.
He sat on his high backed throne of dark oak and steel, his fingers drumming against the armrest, impatience etched deeply into his face. A fire crackled beside him, its warmth lost on a man carved from ambition and cold fury. Around him, warriors lined the great hall—restless, waiting for orders, waiting for hope.
Lucas’s golden eyes flicked to the door as it opened, revealing two guards returning from yet another fruitless mission.
“Well?” Lucas snapped, voice sharp enough to slice skin. “Did you find him?”
The first scout stepped forward, his body bowed with a mixture of shame and fear. “No sign of him, Alpha. It’s as though he vanished into thin air.”
Lucas exhaled slowly, the sound more d
