The crown of the Alpha King was not made of gold, but of blood, scars, and absolute dominance. At twenty one years old, Eli ruled over his whole kingdom with an iron fist, his shadow looming large over any who dared defy him. Yet, as the clock ticked toward midnight, the strongest wolf alive felt the suffocating weight of his own mortality.
At age 10, He once overheard an elder foretelling a prophecy to his beloved mother, Queen Lila that the Alpha King must find his fated mate by his twenty-first year. If the deadline passed without a bond, the King’s purebred wolf would begin to devour itself.
His unmatched strength would wither, his mind would fracture, and his empire would fall to ruin.
Tonight was the night of the full moon.
The grand hall of the Bloodmoon Packhouse was a sea of glittering silk, expensive cologne, and desperate hope. Hundreds of eligible wolves from every allied territory had gathered, all praying to be the one chosen by fate to save the king.
Eli stood on the high balcony, his sharp jaw clenched as his golden eyes scanned the crowd.
His inner wolf, Asher, paced restlessly in his mind, letting out low, frustrated growls.
Every female who approached smelled of perfume and ambition, but none sparked the fated pull.
With every passing hour, a dull, agonizing ache grew in Eli's chest—the first signs of the decay.
The clock tower began to chime, its deep ring echoing across the valley. Midnight had arrived.
The heavy glass dome above the ballroom cleared as the clouds parted.
A beam of pure, unfiltered full moonlight poured down, illuminating the center of the floor.
Eli stood completely frozen, his heart hammering against his ribs as he waited for a spark.
Nothing happened. No bond snapped into place; no intoxicating scent filled his lungs.
Silence fell over the room as the realization set in. The Alpha King was mateless, the prophecy was sealed, and the downfall of the werewolf kingdom had just begun.