The grand banquet hall of Almira Castle shimmered in candlelight and fragrant incense. Long silk banners in the colors of each of the twelve local packs draped the high vaulted ceilings, and the polished table stretched so long it vanished into shadow at both ends.
Food worthy of a royal coronation lay in excess—platters of roasted game, fruit glazes dripping with honey, flutes of golden wine, and desserts carved like art pieces.
But for all the splendor, Heiko felt it like a weight on his shoulders—the tension just beneath the surface. The stares. The thin smiles. The heavy glances exchanged between the Alphas seated around the table.
“This is a theater,” he muttered under his breath to River. “And we’re center stage.”
“Then let’s give them a show,” River replied softly, adjusting the
