Elias POV
The atmosphere in the Great Hall had curdled. What was supposed to be a display of dominance had shifted into a jagged, public trial of blood and fury.
The scent of roasted meat was now overshadowed by the metallic tang of pheromones, aggression, fear, and a dark, underlying lust from the watching Alphas.
"Despite that," Edmund spat, his voice trembling with a rage that was more about his bruised ego than any fatherly instinct. He straightened his tunic, trying to reclaim a dignity that had died the moment he surrendered his pack. "I deserve some respect as the father of the Luna. I will not abide this insult of treating my own daughter like a common whore."
The word hung in the air, thick and ugly.
"Isn't that what she is?"
My own voice sounded foreign to me, cold, clinical, and sharp as a bone-handled blade.
