Kael’s POV
Behind me, Zari lets out a choked sob.
“She is destroying everything, Kael. Our engagement, your honor, the alliance between our families—”
“The only thing being destroyed here,” I say without looking at her, “is your pathetic scheme.”
I step toward my father’s throne, boots squelching in the blood pooled on the marble floor. Elara huddles at my side, trembling but steady.
“You want to know the truth?” I say. “Elara’s wolf is latent. She can’t shift. Magnus Blackwood chose her precisely because she was expendable, not because she was the strongest.”
I look directly at Magnus Blackwood, whose face has drained of color. “The most powerful female in his pack is Harper, his own daughter. But he couldn’t bear to sacrifice her, so he lied to the crown and tried to send Elara in
