The silence that followed my decree was heavy enough to crush bone.
The cavernous Throne Room of the Obsidian Court felt as though all the oxygen had been instantly sucked out of it. The crackling of the massive stone fireplace was the only sound that dared to interrupt the suffocating tension.
Kaelen remained on the floor, clutching his shattered ribs, his golden eyes darting frantically between me and the weeping woman beside him. Selene was no longer the arrogant, untouchable Beta’s daughter who had made my life a living hell. She was a sobbing, trembling mess. Her perfectly styled blonde hair was clinging to her tear-stained face, and the luxurious fur cloak she wore seemed to swallow her small, shaking frame.
She stared at me, waiting for the punchline. Waiting for me to laugh and
