"Prepare the announcement for the next gathering. Release it after the moon council concludes—we need to minimize unrest among our allied packs. And get me a count of the unclaimed dens under my direct authority."
I listened to him arrange everything with cold efficiency, his Alpha voice carrying that commanding tone I once found so attractive. I said nothing.
Instead, I bent down and picked up the birthday crown from the floor. The one he'd crushed underfoot when he'd risen from his seat.
It was a simple thing made of twisted willow branches and dried flowers, half the petals already crumbling away.
It wasn't that we couldn't afford finer craftsmanship from the pack artisans. Lily had insisted on this one because her daddy had woven it with his own hands last year, during a bonding ritual at her first pack gathering. She'd treasured it like a sacred relic, wearing it even after she'd outgrown its small size.
And just now, Alaric had stepped on it without a second glance.
Something cold and heavy lodged in my chest—like ice water flooding my lungs, pressing against my heart until it ached with each breath.