Nine was asleep in my lap, his face buried against the curve of my neck where my mating gland throbbed softly beneath his breath.
I sat still, legs folded beneath me on the large velvet couch someone had dragged into the shattered ruins of the war room. It had once belonged to the Supreme Leader. His robes were still crumpled in the corner, scorched and bloodied. A faint metallic tang clung to the fabric.
Now it belonged to me.
So did the room.
So did the throne.
And, in a way that made my heart ache and burn and tremble all at once—so did Nine.
He let out a soft sound, barely audible. His fingers curled in the loose fabric of my shirt, knuckles brushing over my ribs. Every now and then, he twitched, as if reliving pieces of what had happened. But he didn't let go of me. Not even in sleep.
I could feel the bond flicker with a quiet, unconscious murmur: warm, safe, alpha, alpha, alpha…
Nyx preened at the edge of my thoughts, satisfied and glowing. You did well, she hummed, tone uncharacteristically soft. He's ours. They can't touch him now. Ever again.
I dragged my hand through his tangled white hair, gently untangling the bits of ash and dried blood.
Outside, the facility still smoldered. The survivors had gathered—what few staff and hybrids were left. Kade and Kol had taken charge of organizing temporary housing. The creatures had returned to their containment willingly, responding to my voice as if I were already wearing the crown.
They'd seen what I could do.
What I would do.
And now they obeyed.
I could feel it in the air—the shift. A brittle silence whenever I entered a room. The way conversations halted. How people stood a little straighter, eyes never quite meeting mine. Even Kade had stopped calling me by name, like he didn't know where to place me anymore.
"She took down the entire banquet hall," someone had whispered earlier. "On her own. With just a look."
They weren't wrong.
But it wasn't just a look.
It was fury.
It was love.
It was the kind of vengeance that only comes from watching something beautiful be treated like it's disposable.
Nine stirred again. His lips brushed my scent gland. My whole body tightened at the contact, but I didn't move. His breathing evened out after a moment. His cheek was pink from where he'd cried himself to sleep.
He hadn't said much since the attack.
Only three words: "Is it over?"
I told him yes.
I hadn't lied.
A soft knock tapped at the door.
Kol stepped in. He looked exhausted. There was soot on his jaw and a bandage on his arm. "Everyone's assembled," he said. His eyes dropped briefly to Nine in my lap, then back to me. "They're waiting for the official word."
I nodded.
Kol hesitated. "Do you want… someone to take him? Just for now? While you—"
"No."
The word snapped out before I could stop it.
Kol didn't argue. He nodded again and stepped aside.
I rose slowly, cradling Nine against me. He stirred but didn't wake. I wore him like a vow. His head rested on my shoulder, arms hanging loosely around my neck. His scent clung to me, sweeter now. Less afraid.
In the courtyard, the air was thick with tension. Rows of survivors stood shoulder to shoulder—hybrids, handlers, ex-guards, technicians. Some stared openly. Some looked down.
Kade stood to one side, his expression unreadable.
I stepped forward, careful not to jostle Nine.
"This place has fallen," I said, my voice steady. Strong. "The old regime is dead. The Supreme Leader, the Board, the corrupted chain of command—all of them."
A few shifted uncomfortably.
"From now on," I continued, "no one touches what is mine."
My eyes swept the crowd.
"And no one ever touches him."
Silence.
Then, finally, I spoke the first order of my reign.
"Anyone who has ever laid a hand on this omega—" I glanced down at Nine, who murmured faintly in his sleep, "—without his permission, is to be executed. No trial. No questions. I want them found. And I want them gone. If they are still breathing after that banquet—correct it."
Kade didn't flinch.
Kol's jaw tightened.
Some of the crowd gasped.
Good.
Let them feel fear. Let them feel it like Nine had—every day of his life in this place.
"Anyone who tries to hide one of them will share their fate," I added. "We are cleansing this place."
There was no applause.
Just stunned silence.
I could hear Nyx's pleased growl in my chest.
Finally, Kol bowed his head. "Yes, Supreme Leader."
The others followed, one by one.
I turned without another word and walked away—Nine still held tight against me, his scent now the anchor at the center of my new empire.