The morning air was sharp, biting against Lyla’s skin as she stepped through the ruins of the battlefield.
The fires had long since died out, leaving behind only the charred remains of what had once been warriors, enemies, and pieces of a world that no longer existed.
The world was changing.
Because she was changing it.
Her throne was no longer a seat made of shadows alone.
It was built from the ashes of the old order.
She had won.
But the cost had been steep.
The Elders had been forced into retreat.
The packs that had once ruled these lands now watched from the shadows, waiting, hesitating afraid.
Lyla inhaled deeply, her silver eyes locked onto the horizon.
The weight of what came next settled over her shoulders like a storm cloud.
Because even though she had struck first
Th
