Chapter 122

The walls of the Aegis Hall thrum with tension—raw, electric, dangerous. The marble floors, usually polished to a ceremonial shine, are streaked with dust and blood, both fresh and drying in jagged patterns. Torches lining the columns flicker violently as if reacting to the chaos in the air. The scent of shifting wolves, fear, dominance, and desperation saturates the space.

In the center, Cormac’