The fire crackled low in Queen Alia’s private study. Shadows from the flickering flames danced along the stone walls, mirroring the tension in the room. River sat rigid in her seat, her fingers twisting into the fabric of her skirt. The weight of what she had just learned still felt surreal, like a nightmare she hadn’t yet awakened from.
“What is a Dark Alpha?” she had asked.
Queen Alia turned toward her slowly, her expression serious, almost mournful. Her posture was regal, yet her eyes carried the heaviness of ancient knowledge.
“Dark Alphas,” she began, her voice quiet but grave, “originate from the eastern regions—remote, wild lands where the oldest bloodlines once ran untamed. They emerged from the indigenous packs, long before our structured hierarchies and formal laws. They were
