The Crimson Sky pack, where the great Ruler of all Wolfkind rules.
The kingdom feels like a different world entirely, a world that blends the natural and the magical, it is breathtaking.
The palace itself, Inferno's Crown, perches on a cliff over a blazing caldera.
Its walls glimmer with obsidian and sapphire, like a night sky streaked with fire. Colossal gates covered in massive sculptures of Wolves in mid-strike give way to a wide courtyard with rich gardens of rare, flowers bringing life to the otherwise barren landscape. In the palace's central throne room, orbs of fire float suspended in the air, warming a large space flooded with gold light.
It was beautifully majestic. And entirely different from the human kingdom
As Elora alighted from her carriage, she couldn't help but wobble a bit at the sheer intensity of the whole situation.
The pack maids in charge of the welcome ceremony held their breath as the future queen appeared. Her royal blue dress hugs her curves, embroidered with silver thread tracing the shimmer of waves in moonlight.
A wisp of sheer gossamer traces her body, flowing behind her like a ripple of water. Her pale skin radiates softly in the bright midday sun and her luminous blue eyes, like crystals in the clearest ocean, instantly steal the focus of the crowd that has gathered.
The members of the crimson sky pack are fiery-eyed, sharp-featured, and intimidating wolves, They are not used to this delicate beauty. Murmerings across the crowd, watching and taking in the future queen from a faraway land, who appears to breathe the sea. The maids are dressed in shades of crimson and gold and bowing deeply, but they cannot refrain from looking up, sneaking fascinated glances at Elora.
The extravagance of the kingdom intimidates Elora. She can't deny its beauty. — The sheer scale of the palace, the way the very stones seemed to come with ancient magic, and the sticky shimmer of heat that renders the kingdom in an otherworldly glow. Yet, it terrifies her.
Unlike the quiet solitude she is used to in her own kingdom
The crystal tide kingdom was gentle and serene situated on the coast of the sea, but here was different.
The Crimson Sky pack is intimidating and full of powerful energy, this whole place is a fiery land of fortitude. Here, no softness, no escape, only the pulsing, frontal power of ever-present raw power. The heat dries her skin, and she feels exposed and naked.
When she is ushered into the palace by a string of maids, she struggles to maintain her composure. Her heart longs for the sea's embrace, but she steels herself.
This is my duty, she tells herself. I am here for my people, for peace.
Even when her thoughts are spiraling, she holds her chin high, her gaze steady, her regal bearing catching the admiration of all who observe her.
Her eyes met Prince Regan's gaze from the corner of the room where he watched her with a cold sneer on his lips.
Of course, the sour loser was also here to witness her being sold off.
The High Council Chamber was as cold as it was quiet, the air heavy with the seriousness of the choice that was on the table. Elora sat still, hands folded in her lap, Eyes glued to the parchment in front of her upon which her name would see her fate bound to a man she had never met.
The quill was heavier than it should be, its tip a breath above the paper and Elora struggles to hold in her tears.
Her father stood next to her, his stern attention never leaving her. He appeared older than she remembered, his once-proud shoulders bent under the burden of years and war. But his eyes, piercing and calculating, showed not an inkling of hesitation.
"Sign it," he said, curtly. "It's the future of our kingdom that's at stake."
Her pain was hard to swallow and her throat felt tight. She wanted to argue, to plead, but it felt like her words had been caged long ago.
When had she ever had a choice? Her father's love, if it ever existed, had been buried below duty and ambition.
If she signed this paper, what would become of her new life? She had hope for freedom the moment she had reincarnated, only to be thrown into another prison.
She lifted the quill again, her hand shaking. The pen scratching on the parchment was louder than it had any right to be, her name scribbled across the contract, and locking her into the future as High Queen of the Crimson Sky Pack.
"Good," her father said tersely. "You've done your duty."
Her heart sank at the flatness of his tone, but she had known better.
Just then, the court doors opened. A heavy silence rippled through the whole hall and even the very air seemed to be holding its breath. Elora stiffened as a cold chill swept in, An obvious and dark shift seized the whole atmosphere.
Silence fell, heavy and unnerving.
All around her, all the werewolves—Alphas, Betas, council heads, and the ministers from the human kingdom lowered their gazes in perfect accordance, their spines stiffened with fear, and their widened eyes filled with awe. They all bowed their heads to the sides, hands folded and not a single person dared to breathe too loudly.
The very person who had entered commanded a primal instinct of submission that not a single soul dared to defy.
Elora didn't turn. She didn't need to.
There is only one being dangerous enough to command such a reaction in a room full of powerful Alphas, werewolves, and Humans in the council hall.
The Demon Wolf King.
Elora's fists clenched tightly at her sides, nails digging deep into her palms as she fought to compose herself. Dread raked through her spine. The terrifying stories she'd heard ever since she was a little child-the tales of his bloodthirsty brutality, and all the pep talk she had given herself this morning did nothing to prepare her for this moment.
Elora willed herself to keep looking forward, and not turn back to his direction. She slightly tucked her chin desperately praying to survive her fate of being tied to this monster.
At the other end of the hall, slow–measured footsteps echoed. Azazeal walked like a shadow come to life his very presence terrifyingly silent and unyielding. His gaze was disinterested in the werewolves who trembled in his wake. He spared no glance at the people in the room Even the prideful and arrogant scheming King Haze lowered his gaze fearfully like the rest of them.
No one dared to look directly at the Wolf King, bowing their head lower as he walked past.
Only one thought ran through Elora's mind at his sudden presence.
Didn't he announce to my father that he wouldn't attend the wedding?