Chapter 49 - The Storm Before the Storm

The door to the Alpha's bedchamber clicked shut with a finality that echoed like a death knell, sealing Kael and Lyra away from the viper's nest of the council hall. The air was thick, stagnant, laced with the faint scent of smoke from the dying embers in the hearth. Shadows clung to the opulent tapestries and carved wooden beams, turning the once-luxurious space into a fortress under siege. Kael stood with his back to her, his broad shoulders rigid, fists clenched at his sides. His breath came in ragged bursts, the muscles in his neck corded like steel cables ready to snap. The revelations—the blood secret shattering his lineage, Seraphina's daring escape, the shadow of doubt over Ronan—crashed over him like a tidal wave, drowning him in fury and existential dread.