"The marriage alliance contract was based on strengthening the Northern Kingdom through a bond of political power. That need has been superseded by a greater necessity."
The weight of the crown was a familiar pressure, but today, it felt heavier, laced with the sulfurous taint of treason. I dismissed the last of the Council, a flurry of terrified Alphas and Betas scrambling to execute the unprecedented arrests, and returned to my private study. The air in my chamber was still heavy with the lingering, cold scent of my Alpha Command. I needed to shed political skin, if only for a few moments, before the next crucial meeting.
I walked to the sideboard and poured a glass of ancient, heavy Northern one-hundred-year-old whiskey. I did not need the warmth, but the ritual was grounding. I settled into the high-backed chair near the hearth, the dark, liquid gold swirling in the crystal. I took a slow sip, allowing the burn to settle the restless energy of Vayne, my wolf.
