Back at the pack house, Talon strode through the massive double doors without slowing, his presence commanding the space the moment he entered.
By now, every wolf in the Crimson Fang Pack knew who he was.
The Alpha King.
Even the way the air shifted around him was different—heavier, charged with authority older than any single pack. Conversations died mid-sentence. Warriors straightened instinctively. Omegas lowered their gazes. Even seasoned elders felt the subtle pressure of his power settle over their shoulders.
Talon paid none of them any mind.
He had no patience for ceremony. No tolerance for posturing.
What he did not expect—what irritated him immediately—was her.
“Talon, you’re back.”
The voice slid through the hall like silk wrapped around a blade—soft, deliberate, calculat
