Calla's Pov.
"They're already here."
I had never seen so many people in one place. The Lycan Kingdom's massive gates opened and our carriage wheels rolled onto ancient stone-paved ground. The walls were impenetrable, towering. The air smelled different — earthy, wild, touched by something I couldn't name. Children ran past. Men and women moved about, living their lives as though a king hadn't just died. I had expected mourning. Instead it felt like a silent celebration.
How else could a coronation be announced two days after a king's death?
I looked around, quiet awe stealing my breath. Then I saw it. A crest I knew too well. Gladys's carriage. Already inside.
I swallowed. Derata noticed. She followed my gaze and her brow arched at the silver wolf sigil.
"Gladys came with Elara to secure the host position," I murmured, bracing for her sharpness.
She didn't curse. She just looked at me, dark eyes steady.
"I'm fine. It's nothing," I added too quickly.
"To you, maybe. But your parents wouldn't have wanted you to live like this, Callie. Not even Kellan."
A lump formed in my throat, unexpected and unwelcome.
A guard appeared before I could answer. "You are welcome to the Lycan Kingdom. Please follow me."
We moved as one — me, Derata, Alpha Aedric, and his Beta. A long corridor opened into a vast hall. A massive wooden table stretched down the center, surrounded by heavy carved chairs. The walls were lined with ancient prints, silent histories no one spoke aloud.
Then I saw them. Gladys and Elara, seated close, his hand resting over hers. Smiling like people who had nothing to hide. His eyes flicked to mine and a small frown crossed his brow. He said nothing. Publicly we were strangers. That was what he'd always wanted. Now I understood why.
Alpha Aedric led us to our seats across from them. Jasper gave me a look that said I had betrayed something. I ignored him. I ignored all of them.
Just seats from the head of the table sat two women I had only ever heard in whispers. The Lycan princesses. Apex Blood's elder sisters.
They were stunning, graceful in a way that could stir envy in anyone. I had never been the jealous type. My family had given me everything I needed. But their poise, their sheer presence, pulled at something in me.
The hall felt tense, heavily guarded. Everyone was on edge. This was the first time werewolves had ever been allowed inside these walls. But Apex Blood was nowhere to be seen.
I glanced at Derata. She was wringing her hands in her lap. I reached over and squeezed once. She turned and gave me a small, grateful smile. This was enormous — hosting the first Lycan coronation as a werewolf. But she had run warrior festivals before. She could handle this.
Footsteps echoed through the hall. Silence fell, thick and immediate.
He was here.
The door opened. That familiar pull moved through me before I saw him, ominous and deep. Goosebumps rose on my arms.
Apex Blood walked in. Everything shifted.
He moved past us, a dark storm wrapped in black cloth. His scent reached me — flowers laced with blood, danger wrapped in grace. Up close he was haunting. A thick fur cloak over dark clothes. Long charcoal hair framing his face, loose strands clinging to his jaw. The raven sat on his shoulder, glossy and unhurried, tilting its head to judge the room.
He didn't glance at anyone. He walked straight to the two women waiting for him.
Then he kissed the first princess. On the lips.
She smiled and touched his cheek. It looked completely natural. He turned to the second and kissed her too.
Alphas didn't greet their sisters this way. But the Lycans of the Royal Bloodline did. Now I understood what people meant when they said Apex Blood worshipped his sisters. This was devotion. Something else entirely.
He pulled away and took his seat at the head of the table, far from everyone. His eyes stayed down. He refused to meet anyone's gaze.
A man who appeared to be his Beta stepped forward. "Welcome to the Lycan Kingdom, Alphas and representatives. His Highness acknowledges your presence."
Murmured thanks moved around the table.
"You have come to present the most suitable host for the coronation. I see three women."
Alpha Aedric spoke. "Callie is not here to apply. She is a guest. It is Derata of the Luminary Pack who wishes to host. She is well-versed in ceremony and has led many successful events."
A loud snort cut through the room. Jasper.
"Elara of the Ravenwood Pack is here. She is not just graceful — she is brilliant. The first female envoy of our time. She completed every mission the Empire assigned her. If anyone should host this coronation, it's her."
"Thank you, Jasper," Elara said softly. She turned to Derata with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "This isn't a village festival that needs a local planner. It's the coronation of a king. I'm sorry, but you wouldn't be able to handle it."
Derata's eyes flared. "Then let's put skill to the test instead of trading insults. Unless you're afraid of a fair competition. In hosting, I'd beat you without breaking a sweat."
"Beat me?" Elara's smile thinned. "You can't tell a wine goblet from a washbasin. And those festivals you hosted in the Sterling Pack?" She let the pause do its work. "Archery. A host needs physical fitness and archery tests ability cleanly. I'll have you black and blue before your first arrow leaves the string."
Silence fell on our side. Derata had never trained in combat, let alone archery. Elara was known as one of the finest archers alive, capable of hitting a bullseye at distances that shouldn't be possible.
I had planned to stay silent. I had no interest in speaking to Elara. But I saw Derata's hands fist helplessly under the table, and I set my jaw.
I met Elara's eyes.
"Fine. If that's what you want. Let's have the competition."
The room went still.
Then he moved.
Apex Blood lifted his head. Those pale eyes found me across the table and didn't waver. Didn't blink. Didn't shift to Elara or Derata or anyone else in the room.
Only me.
It wasn't the way Gladys used to look at Elara. It was deeper. Heavier. Something I didn't have a name for yet.
"You?"