The Red Moon Pack had only just started to recover after three long years of chaos, loss, and instability. Even now, they were far from steady, still trying to rebuild what had been broken and reclaim the respect they once held among the other packs. Every step forward felt fragile, as though one wrong move could send everything collapsing again.
What they needed most in a time like this was strength. Not just strength in battle, but strength in presence. Leaders who could stand tall and project confidence, reminding the world around them that the Red Moon Pack was not weak, not something to be underestimated or pushed aside.
And Victoria did not fit into that image.
No matter how Marcus turned it over in his mind, she simply did not represent power. She was uncertain, unpredictable, an
