Kade ignored him.
"Stand down! That is an order!" Lucas roared.
But not a single wolf moved.
Not one blinked, not even Kade, who usually obeyed orders with military precision. He stood firm at the center of the protective ring, his arms folded, gaze cold and unmoving as he stared down the councilmen.
"You want him?" Kade's voice was eerily calm, a storm hidden beneath still waters. "Then you'll have to go through every single member of the Silver Pack. One. By. One."
The pack behind him didn't growl or bare their teeth. They didn't need to. Their silence was louder than any war cry.
Eryx's lips twitched at the edges, almost into a smirk—one that betrayed more admiration than irritation. Lucas had changed. Once upon a time, his pack had feared him, tiptoed around him. But now? Now they stood with him, bound by loyalty.
He looked past Kade, gaze locking onto Ava, who stood poised and radiant.