The grand hall of the Bloodstone Pack was alive with laughter, music, and the low hum of conversation. Lanterns glowed warmly, casting golden light over banners of the pack’s colors and the intricate sigils of allied packs that had come to honor Aeron Hale’s coming-of-age.
The air smelled faintly of roasted meats, spiced wines, and fresh flowers—the heady mix of a celebration meant not only for one young Alpha heir but for the unity of many supernatural clans. Crystal and Dustin stood near the center, watching the room with soft pride. Their son, Aeron Samson Hale, the future Alpha, moved through the crowd with confidence that only youth and destiny could grant.
For the first time that evening, Aeron’s eyes sparkled with more than excitement—they shone with the thrill of newly discovered
