Azura's POV
He placed his hand on Rhydor's marked shoulder. Directly on the three fresh burns.
"Rhydor, son of my blood, I transfer to you the weight of this pack. The duty. The honor. The burden. From this night forward, you are Alpha. Permanent. Unchallengeable. Bound to these lands and these people until the Goddess calls you home."
Rhydor met his father's eyes.
"I accept," he said. Quiet and steady and absolute.
"Then it is done."
Arthur stepped back.
The hall erupted.
The celebration was loud and warm and everything a night like this was supposed to be.
Music swelled from somewhere near the back of the hall. The stillness broke like a wave.
Food and drink appeared on every table. People laughed and talked and pulled each other into dances in the cleared center of the floor.
The children were on their feet immediately, the excitement of the ceremony converting directly into the kind of energy that had no interest in sitting still.
