"Enough!"
The roar cracked through the Great Hall like thunder, silencing every voice in an instant.
Dozens of wolves froze where they stood, forming a wide circle around the two Alphas at its center — Gonzalo and his cousin, Kael Vortan. The air between them burned with fury, pride, and the unspoken scent of betrayal.
Gonzalo's body still bore the mark of the Goddess — a pale, glowing scar across his chest, pulsing faintly under the dim torchlight. He was weak, but his stance remained proud, his voice sharp as steel.
"You think you can walk into my hall," Gonzalo growled, "and strip me of what the Goddess herself entrusted me with?"
Kael's lip curled. "The Goddess entrusted you?" he spat. "You defied her. Look around you, Gonzalo. The land is dying. Wolves are starving. You've lost your power, your bond, your mate, your wolf. You are no longer fit to lead."
The words cut through the crowd like blades.
