Alessio’s Pov
The Hall of Verdict smelled like dust, blood, and judgment.
My father sat to my left, my stepmother beside him. The elders filled the curved stone benches around us. Raven sat beside me. Still in that damn short dress she refused to change out of.
I sat in the center. I was the Alpha because I was the Alpha.
My father’s reign had ended when mine began. He only stepped in when his voice was needed. But his eyes still watched everything.
Before us, on his knees and bound in silver restraints, was the fallen Alpha of Duskfall. His chest was still bleeding sluggishly, the venom from Raven’s blade clearly doing its work.
Raven had said it was coated in Alpha Silver, which was rare, toxic, and slow-burning.
He wasn’t healing. Not properly.
I leaned forward slightly, eyes l
