Lucian POV
The private council chamber, reserved for reigning alphas, sat deep within Graves Ridge, the summit stronghold built into the obsidian spine of the mountain—too quiet—after the chaos of the Summit’s final match. Torches crackled along the stone walls, their flames casting warm light over the carved obsidian table between the two kings.
Lucian stood with his hands by his sides, eyes fixed on the double doors as the guards opened them. His Beta Dorian stood quietly and alert by the massive window, off to Lucian's right.
King Rayne Stormclaw entered.
And the atmosphere shifted.
Rayne carried a presence different from most alphas Lucian had dealt with—less political, less calculating. Instead, Rayne moved like a man tied directly to the earth, to something older than the packs
