[Ace's POV]
The throne room doors closed behind me with a low, final thud. The sound echoed through the vast chamber, bouncing off the stone walls before fading into silence.
Father's gaze settled on me—heavy, unblinking, the weight of the Alpha King pressing down from his throne.
"During your wedding," he said, his voice calm but edged with something sharper beneath, "Ann deceived the humans by creating a fake mark on Ovelia's neck. A clever trick, I admit. But that sort of deception does not fool werewolves. We know the difference between a real claim and painted skin."
I held still. I knew it. This was about Ovelia.
