The pack did not bow. Not at first. They stood in a loose semicircle at the far end of the great hall—men and women who wore power in their posture rather than their clothes. Some bore scars openly. Others hid theirs behind polite expressions and watchful eyes.
Calla felt every one of them. Not as threats. As weights. They weren’t here to kneel. They were here to measure.
Adrian stopped beside her, one hand brushing her lower back—not a claim, not control, just a reminder that she wasn’t standing alone. The Alpha Don’s presence pressed against the room like gravity, but even he did not dominate this space.
This was pack ground.
The eldest wolf stepped forward. Grey-haired, sharp-eyed, bearing the crescent brand etched into his wrist.
“Luna Prime,” he said, inclining his head only a fr
