"Elder Han, it''s time," I say, my voice hollow and strained, unable to shake the emptiness that lingers within.


    Reuben''s replyes with a teasing edge. "It''s Reuben now, Alpha."


    I shoot back, “Save the ''Alpha'' for when I''m officially crowned."


    He chuckles softly. "Official, child, you already are. The ceremony is just the pomp and circumstance."


    I sigh, desperation creeping into my tone. "Still, it''s necessary. Some of the pack won''t take me seriously until it''s done. Please, help me make it happen. It doesn''t need to be borate or over the top. We could hold it right here on the front steps in an hour if we have to. I need everyone to understand that my father is gone, and I''m here to stay. This is the start of that process. Also, I need your advice about Sebastian and Richard. Jeff is our traitor—I have him in custody. He was in charge of my mother and probably how she got poisoned. How did no one, not even my father, see his betrayaling?"


    "That''s the question we''ve all been asking ourselves," Elder Reuben Han says, stepping through the office door alongside Ss Moretti and Walter Fenwick without even bothering to knock.


    Han looks every bit the doting grandfather you''d expect from a movie—the kind who gives you a warm smile and a secret candy behind grandma''s back. Fenwick is the gruff, old-timer who knows the pack''s history inside and out, rarely wrong when questioned. Moretti is the silent warrior turned elder, his temper steady and unshaken. The three of them together make an oddbination, but somehow their strengths bnce each other perfectly.


    "Come in, gentlemen. Make yourselves at home," I say, my sarcasm thin but sincere. Trust is in short supply these days, and I''m forcing myself not to assume the worst about my packmates. They can''t all be enemies.


    "How are you holding up?” Han asks gently. “That was a lot for all of us to absorb, but you carry so much more-tying you to the deaths of the Alpha and Luna."


    His words hit me like a wave, breaking my heart all over again. But I can''t afford to show weakness. My pack needs me strong.


    “As expected,” I answer quietly. "Can we hold the Alpha ceremony today?"


    I meet the eyes of all three elders, searching for support.


    "What about your mate? You''ll want him here, surely," Fenwick interrupts. He''s always been the most resistant to the idea of me bing Alpha instead of my male mate.


    "What mate?" I pretend to look around, as if searching for someone who isn''t there.


    "Don''t be stubborn, ra," Moretti says, folding his arms and leaning back like he''s bored with this line of conversation. "We know you found your mate. You may not have mated or imed him yet, but the bond is clear."


    “He''s not avable right now," I exin, holding up a hand to stop their protests. “He has his own Alpha who needs him. He''s the Beta of a neighboring pack and has responsibilities..."


    "His responsibility is to you, above all else," Fenwick cuts in sharply. "I may be old- fashioned, but you are his Alpha now. To reach your full strength, you need him here, regardless of his rank. He must return immediately. We are under attack. Call him... now!"


    It''s the first time Fenwick has ever addressed me as ''Alpha'' in any form, and the weight of it settles heavily on me.


    “I''ll bring him back as soon as I can,” I say firmly. “He truly is fulfilling his obligations to his Alpha," I pause to emphasize, “and his best friend. Rayna is pregnant, and they had to travel. He was needed for protection. We can manage without him for the moment."


    I refuse to sound like a helpless woman calling for rescue, but they don''t need to know that. He wille to me when the time is right.


    "Let''s do this," I dere, rising from my seat and striding toward the cab where our ceremonial de and chalice rest. I won''t let these doubts or distractions derail me any longer. I am the Alpha of this pack, and it''s time to make that public and official—so no one can question my authority again.