Damon’s POV
The silence after death is heavier than the fight itself.
Aiden’s body lay twisted in the dirt, blood soaking into the earth, steam rising faintly into the cool night. His golden eyes were glass now, frozen in that final moment of recognition, his last words still echoing in my head.
Queen.
Rayna’s howl had torn the clearing apart, bending every wolf here beneath the weight of her dominance. Even now, the echoes lingered in my chest, my wolf trembling, my lungs heaving like I’d just been torn apart and stitched back together.
And still, I couldn’t look away from her.
Her massive silver wolf stood over his corpse, chest rising, fur streaked with blood, eyes blazing with power that was older, stronger than anything I’d ever felt. My mate. My Queen. My everything.
But the c
