The echo of my brother's crown striking marble still rang in my ears. Even as dawn's light crept across the throne room, painting the silver banners pale gold, the memory of last night refused to fade.
Alaric was gone.
And I… I bore the mark of the Moon Goddess.
The council chamber was suffocating. A circle of stone walls, high windows spilling morning light, and the weight of dozens of eyes pressing down on me like chains.
Elders, Alphas, advisors—they all sat in their carved chairs, their expressions a storm of disbelief and fury.
"He cannot rule." The voice came from Elder Veynar, his golden eyes hard as steel. "The Goddess may have marked him, but he is no wolf. He has no fangs, no claws, no strength. To place a human on the throne is to invite ruin!"
A growl of agreement rumbled from several others.
My stomach tightened. I wanted to speak, to argue, but the words clung to my throat. What was there to say? I had no explanation. I had not asked for this mark. I had not sought the crown.
Another voice rose, sharp and defiant. "And yet the Goddess chose him."
It was Lady Selene, one of the youngest Alphas on the council. Her silver hair gleamed in the sunlight, her tone unyielding. "You saw the mark with your own eyes. You felt the throne awaken. The Moon Goddess's will is not ours to deny."
Her words stirred a wave of whispers. Some thoughtful, others hostile.
Veynar's gaze seared into me. "The Goddess tests us. That is all. This… boy… is unworthy. He cannot protect the throne, much less lead our kind. He will be crushed the moment rival packs hear of this farce."
The chamber trembled with growls, fists slamming against tables.
Finally, the High Priest raised his hand. Silence followed. His face was pale, weary with the weight of last night's tragedy. "Whether you accept it or not, the mark cannot be erased. The Moon Goddess has chosen." His voice grew firm. "And until she speaks otherwise, the human stands as King."
The word struck like thunder.
King.
I clenched my fists beneath the table, my palm burning faintly where the mark lay. King? I was no such thing. My brother had been trained his whole life for the throne. He was a warrior, a leader, everything the people needed. And I… I was nothing.
The council broke into argument once more. Voices clashed, some demanding trials, others calling for rebellion, others still urging patience.
I barely heard them. My gaze had drifted to the great doors of the chamber, where guards stood tall and grim. Outside, I could hear the faint chants of the people gathered in the courtyard. Not songs of celebration. Not cries of loyalty.
Whispers of doubt. Murmurs of fear.
"A human King…"
"It is an omen."
"We are doomed."
Their words crawled through the walls and into my chest.
I forced myself to rise, though my knees trembled. "I did not ask for this," I said, my voice low but steady. Every eye turned to me. "But I will not dishonor the Goddess by rejecting what she has given. If I must prove myself—then I will. Put me to trial. Test me, challenge me, curse me if you must. But know this…"
I met their eyes one by one, though my heart hammered in my ribs. "I will not run."
Silence fell. A silence heavier than steel.
Then Elder Veynar's lips curved into a thin, cruel smile. "So be it."
The council agreed swiftly, too swiftly. My declaration had cornered me, and they would use it. A trial, yes—but one designed to break me. To prove to all that the Moon Goddess had made a mistake.
The meeting ended in discord. Some bowed stiffly, others left without a word. Lady Selene lingered, her sharp gaze measuring me as though weighing my worth. At last, she said softly, "Do not falter. Even the weakest flame can burn when fanned by the wind." Then she was gone.
I remained alone, save for the guards.
Exhaustion pressed down on me. My hand drifted to the mark on my arm, faintly glowing still beneath the skin. It pulsed in time with my heartbeat, alive, restless.
And then—something shifted.
The faintest sound reached my ears. A heartbeat. Not my own. It echoed from the corridor beyond the doors, quick and uneven, like prey caught in a snare. I froze.
Impossible. I had never heard such a thing before.
My breath caught. The world seemed sharper—the scrape of armor as the guard shifted, the flutter of wings outside the window, the scent of dust and ink thick in the air.
I stumbled back, clutching the edge of the table.
What was happening to me?
The mark pulsed once more, searing with heat, and a sudden surge of anger rose in my chest, fierce and unfamiliar. For a moment, I felt as though something vast and wild pressed against the walls of my soul, demanding release.
I forced it down, shoving the feeling into the deepest shadows of myself. My hands shook. My heart thundered.
I had always been human. Weak. Powerless. But now… now something inside me was changing.
And I wasn't sure if I should fear it—or embrace it.