The way he carried himself left no doubt that he believed the crown was already his by right, that the only obstacle was hesitation in the pack’s memory.
He laughed then, a slow, deliberate sound that carried easily to every corner of the room. “Honestly,” he said, leaning back, “Roman is history. Can we all move on now? The boy was nothing but a dent in the image of this pack. I can't imagine an alpha without a wolf, cursed by his own nature. And believe it or not,” he added, his lips curling slightly, “he killed my brother and his wife. He can't kill the alpha and become the next alpha.”
A ripple of unease spread through the chamber.
“Darren,” Elder Harkin said, voice calm, “they were not just your brother and his wife. They were also Roman’s parents. How could you accuse a boy of mur
