“My king, I just received a mind link. Beta Dante has arrived… and he is with the escaped wolf.” Beta Conall’s voice was steady, but there was something beneath it—something sharp. Urgent. Damon slowly lifted his gaze from the parchment spread across his desk. Being the Rogue King was not as glorious as legends would make it seem. There were no golden thrones, no grand halls filled with banners bearing a proud crest. There was only stone, shadows, and the constant weight of survival pressing against his shoulders. One of the greatest disadvantages of ruling rogues was isolation. Very few regular packs knew that rogues had formed something more structured—something resembling a kingdom. They assumed rogues were scattered, feral, leaderless wolves who rejected pack laws out of spite or

