Shade had been in meetings since sunrise. He hadn't even stopped to eat, just kept moving from one war room to the next while pack members, envoys, and rivals shuffled through with tired eyes and tighter demands. I brought in trays more than once. Drinks, fruit, a pitcher of the thick tea the northern Alphas liked. None of it touched his lips unless I handed it to him myself.
He looked like a statue at the head of the table. Stoic, jaw tight, hand always near his pen, but never writing. The entire room rotated around him. Some came in snide. Some were practically bowing every other word. Some tried to compare him to his father.
"Darius promised us trade routes through the Riverlands. You'll honor those, won't you?"
Shade leaned forward with his elbows braced against the table. "I'm not
