Changing of power

Lucian strides into the pack house the next morning, exhaustion clinging to him like a second skin.

The run in his wolf form had done little to ease the storm inside him. His mind is still tangled with thoughts of Aiden, frustration, and the unfamiliar weight of uncertainty pressing on his chest.

As he steps inside, a strange sense of unease prickles at him.

Something feels… off. It takes him a moment to realize what it is.

The entrance hall, usually structured with precision, has been rearranged, small details shifted, but noticeable enough for someone who had lived here his entire life.

The paintings that once depicted the long lineage of alphas have been moved, some taken down entirely.

The rug leading toward the main hall, embroidered with the sigil of his father's reign, is gone.

Lucian's gaze sharpens.