Kaiden didn't come into the fortress, but I could feel him—watching, waiting, calculating.
"Why doesn't he attack?" I asked Lucien.
"Because he's not sure what to do with you yet," he said. "Your power disrupts everything he knows."
Every moment, I felt his pull—possessive, magnetic, and dangerous. My thoughts tangled with the memory of his rejection, the ceremony, the exile.
Kaiden's pack had heard whispers of me now. Other Alphas would, too.
"You're becoming a target," Lucien warned. "Every Alpha in the region will either want you controlled… or dead."
I swallowed, fear mingling with anger. "Then I'll survive. And they'll regret underestimating me."
Lucien's hand brushed mine. "Good. Remember that power is not just strength—it's influence, strategy, survival."