Chapter 17

• Darius's POV
• The air was thick with the scent of wood and earth, a soft, cool breeze filtering through the cracks in the stone walls of the castle. The only sound that filled the space was the low crackle of a fire in the corner. My father, the Alpha, sat behind a massive oak desk, his fingers steepled in front of him as he listened to my report.
• “Father, we were able to eradicate the troublesome rogues,” I said, my voice steady, but there was a tinge of exhaustion hiding just beneath. “I have them running, and they won’t dare invade our land again.”