Ally's POV
The words cut through the silence, leaving a wound that seems to echo off the ancient stone walls. My heart clenches, seeing Elliot's jaw tighten, the muscle ticking as if keeping time with the pounding of my own pulse. His wolf stirs within him, restless and raging against the injustice.
"And," Nathan continues, his eyes flicking towards me with a glint of malice before returning to his brother, "I am reclaiming the territory that was once under your protection."
The murmurs that ripple through the gathered courtiers are like the distant roll of thunder, a storm brewing in the wake of Nathan's proclamation. It's clear that his words are not just an edict but a declaration of war - a war against his own blood.
"Come," Elliot says, his voice barely above a whisper, but it is enough to snap me out of the trance of disbelief. We turn our backs to Nathan, to the ministers, to the court that had once revered Elliot as their prince.