(Kael's POV)
Silver light covered the command seal beneath my breastbone. The Council had no power to take my natural wolf; that belonged to my birth.
The Alpha mantle was different. It bound a leader to pack territory, carried registered oaths of obedience, and gave force to official commands. The Council could close it after a lawful verdict.
The scepter found every oath of obedience registered in my name and closed them one by one. Warriors, elders, healers, and omegas vanished from the edge of my awareness. I had spent years taking that background chorus for granted.
My wolf remained inside me, angry and frightened, stripped of authority over anyone else.
When the silver light withdrew, I collapsed on the marble. For the first time since coming of age, I was simply Kael, with no c
