Rowan's posture remained rigid, arms folded across his chest, his sharp green eyes locked on Cedric. His wolf prowled beneath his skin restless and alert, clawing to the surface. Rooms like this dense with politics, posturing, and veiled threats always awakened something feral in him.
Beside him, Darius was still as stone, quieter but no less alert. His gaze moved strategically from Casian to the gathered Alphas, reading each twitch, each tightening jaw or flared nostril like it was a shift in battle lines.
"He's trying to provoke Casian," Darius murmured, his voice no more than a breath. "Looking for a crack. Something public."
Rowan's lips curled into a cold, humorless smile. "Then he really doesn't know Casian at all."
They didn't interfere. Casian never needed protection. But their vigilance didn't waver.
Not until Rowan's gaze shifted and locked.
His jaw tightened.
