The Shifting of Shadows
The Citadel had never been so quiet.Or so watchful.
Since the Alpha King's departure, Lycanthra held its breath. The air itself seemed to wait — taut, uncertain — as though the moon had turned its gaze away from the kingdom and left its wolves in twilight.
But where silence should have meant fear, it bred something else instead.
Whispers.
Whispers of her.
The Blood Queen.
The vampire who dared walk among wolves and did not bow.The one who smiled in the face of sneers and learned every corridor of their fortress as though it had always been her home.The one who had looked into the eyes of the Alpha King — and survived.
The Queen's Quiet Rule
Within days, Isabella's presence had reshaped the Citadel's rhythm.
The servants, once hesitant to approach her, now sought her out with small, cautious smiles. The warriors who once spat at her feet now paused to listen when she spoke. She learned their names, remembered their families, and walked the courtyards not as a prisoner, but as something far more dangerous — a queen who inspired loyalty not through blood, but respect.
Calen, her silent shadow, often followed at a distance, watching as she conversed with healers and scribes, inspecting training fields and libraries alike. The wolves found her strange, elegant, and unyielding — a creature carved from moonlight and defiance.
And in her quiet, graceful way, Isabella began to win hearts.
Even the halls of the court had begun to murmur her name.
The Court Summoned
On the seventh night of the waning moon, the six brothers of the Alpha King gathered once more in the High Court of Lycanthra.The great chamber glowed with cold fire from hundreds of torches. Shadows prowled the walls like restless beasts, and the scent of iron and pine thickened the air.
Allen, ever the sharp-tongued second, lounged lazily in his chair, boots propped on the obsidian table."Tell me again," he drawled, "why are we here if our dear brother has abandoned his throne for self-reflection—or perhaps self-denial?"
Damon, the third, growled low. "Watch your mouth, Allen. The Alpha King's absence doesn't make him deaf."
"Maybe not," Kael said dryly, his golden eyes flickering toward the door, "but it makes him noticeably absent from this meeting. Which leaves us with her."
"The vampire queen," murmured Corin, the fourth, leaning forward with interest. "I hear she walks the halls like she owns them."
"She does not own them," Damon spat.
"No," said Allen with a smirk. "But she certainly decorates them better than you do, brother."
A ripple of restrained laughter passed through the court — even the guards dared a grin. Damon's growl deepened, but he didn't rise to the bait.
It was then that the great doors of the chamber opened.
And she entered.
The Blood Queen Before the Wolves
Princess — no, Queen — Isabella Reon stepped into the Court of Wolves draped in silver and shadow. Her gown flowed like smoke, catching the torchlight with every step. Her dark hair was braided with threads of moon-metal, and around her neck hung a small pendant carved with both wolf and vampire runes — the sigil of the Eclipse Pact.
The six brothers rose instinctively. Not out of respect, but because something about her presence demanded it.
"Your Highness," Kael greeted with a half-smile, the only one who had shown her courtesy since Ryan's departure. "To what do we owe this visit?"
"I was invited," Isabella replied evenly. "Though I must admit, I expected fewer growls and more grace."
Allen chuckled. "Ah, she bites with words now. Careful, brothers — the fangs are out."
Her crimson gaze slid toward him, calm and cutting. "Better words than claws, Lord Allen. They leave less mess."
The court stilled. Even Damon's lips twitched in reluctant amusement.
Kael leaned forward. "You've made quite an impression, my queen. The soldiers whisper of your kindness. The healers praise your curiosity. Even the children in the lower quarters bow when you pass. Are you trying to turn my brother's court into yours?"
She tilted her head. "If influence grows where a throne stands empty, perhaps it was meant to."
The words struck like a whip — soft, precise, unanswerable.
Damon slammed his hand on the table. "Watch your tongue, vampire!"
But Isabella didn't flinch. "Then teach your wolves not to speak my name with venom when I've done nothing to earn their fear."
Allen smirked again. "Oh, I'd say you've earned something. Fear, desire, curiosity—take your pick."
Laughter rippled through the hall, broken only by Kael's sharp, warning glance. "Enough, Allen."
The Rising Influence
As the night deepened, Isabella stood at the center of the court while the brothers debated the affairs of the kingdom — border disputes, trade routes, whispers of unrest among the lesser packs. She listened silently, her sharp mind absorbing every word.
Then, when the moment came, she spoke.
"What you call unrest is not rebellion," she said quietly. "It's neglect. You rule by dominance, but not all creatures are ruled by fear. Feed the hungry, protect the weak, and your packs will serve willingly, not out of terror — but loyalty."
For a long moment, no one spoke.
It was Kael who broke the silence. "She's right," he said finally. "Even the Alpha King's will cannot silence a starving wolf."
Damon snorted. "And since when does a vampire understand the needs of wolves?"
Isabella's eyes glinted. "Since I learned that hunger and grief speak the same language — in every kingdom."
That silenced even him.
Allen leaned back with a lazy grin. "Well, brothers, I say we keep her. She makes council days far less dull."
Laughter broke out again, and for the first time, Isabella didn't feel the weight of their hostility — only the strange, shifting warmth of something new.Respect.
Or at least, the beginning of it.
The Howl Beneath the Moon
Later, as the court dispersed and torches dimmed, Kael approached her near the arched doorway."You held your own tonight," he said quietly. "Ryan would not have approved, but…" He smiled faintly. "It was good to see someone remind them of sense."
"Your brothers underestimate me," she said, voice soft but steady. "That may be their first mistake."
Kael studied her. "You're changing this place, Isabella. Whether you mean to or not."
"Perhaps it's changing me," she murmured.
From beyond the walls, a howl rose — distant and haunting.The wolves of Lycanthra calling to the moon, their song echoing through the mountains.
And though she could not see him, somewhere beyond the forests and silver rivers, Ryan Azaron Steel felt it.The faint echo of her presence through the mate bond — a pulse that burned hotter with every beat.
His wolf stirred restlessly within him.
You left her among wolves, it growled.And yet she thrives without you.
Ryan's jaw tightened as he stared into the wilderness."She won't when I return," he muttered.
But even as he said it, he wasn't sure whether it was a promise… or a lie.