Secrets Before the Alpha

The phantom sting of Cass’s broadsword still burned against the skin of my neck. I blinked the haunting, blood-red moonlight from my eyes, dragging myself out of the nightmare of my past life’s execution. The crisp air in the assembly chamber smelled of polished oak, old stone, and simmering nervous energy, snapping my mind back into the stark reality of the present. The entire assembly held its c