POV: Kendrick
Kendrick had imagined this moment a hundred times since learning of Kael's existence. In some versions, his brother arrived with an army at his back, dark magic crackling from his fingertips, demanding the Alpha position by right of blood. In others, he came broken and desperate, seeking refuge from Morgana's cruelty.
He hadn't imagined this: Kael standing in the manor's entrance hall like a weary traveler, his hands raised in peace, his eyes holding the kind of exhaustion that came from carrying impossible burdens for too long.
"Lower your weapons," Kendrick ordered. His warriors hesitated, glancing between him and the potential threat. "I said lower them. He came here alone, unarmed, asking to talk. We'll at least hear him out."
"He reeks of dark magic," Ryker growled from Kendrick's left. "Could be a trap."
