Chapter 34: Malik’s Family Strikes

The morning sun filtered through the grand windows of the council room, casting golden rays over the polished marble floors. Laila leaned against one of the stone columns, her mind still buzzing from the latest reports on border security. It had been a few days since Malik returned from the northern border, where he had been dealing with the Iron Claw’s rogue factions. Though his presence back in the palace brought her relief, the strain of war still weighed heavily on both.

Malik sat across the room; his broad shoulders hunched as he sifted through a stack of letters and occasionally sifting through his emails on his laptop on the council table. His two tigers, Suri and Khan, lay at his feet, their massive sized bodies sprawled comfortably over the marble floor. Suri let out a lazy growl, her head resting on Malik’s lap, while Khan remained ever-alert, his amber eyes scanning the room like a sentinel.