The doors of the training courtyard rattled as two dozen SilverFang warriors beat their boots in rhythm, shouting and pounding their fists in raw excitement.
“Is that all you’ve got, Torin?” Henrik called out, circling the ring.
Captain Torin scoffed, wiping a streak of blood and sweat from his cheek.
His chest heaved as he spat blood onto the sand, his Alpha pheromones flaring, the smell of pine filling the air as his eyes glowed a fiery red before he launched forward.
The moment Torin’s scent hit the air, Henrik’s inner beast snarled in response.
Henrik unleashed his own pheromones, a thick, suffocating wave of heavy cedar and fresh lemon grass flooding the courtyard, instantly smothering Torin’s scent and forcing the surrounding guards to drop their heads in instinctual submission.
Torin’s claws slashed across Henrik’s chest, almost grazing his chest.
Henrik ducked beneath the arc, pivoted, and drove a brutal right hook into the captain’s ribs.
The impact cracked through the courtyard.
Torin stumbled back, grunting, but bared his fangs with a feral grin.
“I barely felt that, Your Majesty.” “Liar,” Henrik chuckled.
He ducked a wild left hook and drove his palm directly into the captain’s sternum.
“Your stance is slipping.” The guards erupted into rowdy jeers and cheers, stomping even harder.
“Drive him back, Captain!” Torin surged forward in a flurry of blows.
Henrik blocked two strikes with his forearms, caught Torin’s wrist, and swept his trailing leg.
Torin slammed onto the ground, dust swirling around them.
Before he could scramble up, Henrik stepped over him, hovering his clawed hand an inch above Torin’s throat, his dominant scent pressing down like a lead weight.
Torin froze, breathing heavily, then let out a loud sigh.
“I yield.
If not for the fact that you’re my Alpha, I would have beaten you senseless.” Henrik chuckled, retracting his claws as he extended a hand.
“In your dreams.” He pulled Torin up and patted his shoulder hard enough to rattle his armor.
“Your balance is getting sloppy.” A guard offered Henrik a damp towel, which he used to wipe sweat from his neck and face.
Three days had passed since the execution, and he still needed the physical burn to drown out thoughts of silver hair, violet eyes, and his daughter’s quiet questions.
“Henrik!” Rysand’s voice cut through the lingering cheers.
Henrik looked up to see his second in command striding briskly past the archway, his dark cloak billowing, none of his usual calm composure on his face.
“What is it?” Henrik asked, stepping toward the archway to meet him.
“We have a visitor at the front gate,” Rysand said, low enough that his words wouldn’t carry to the men as they began walking out of the courtyard.
Henrik’s eyes narrowed.
“What visitor?
I’m not expecting anyone.” “Oh.
And here I thought you did.
Well, she brought a small escort, but she demanded entry to the main hall immediately.” Henrik’s beast stirred behind his ribs, sharp and suddenly alert.
“Colette?” “No,” Rysand said quietly.
“Harmony.” Henrik’s jaw tightened.
Harmony, the high-ranking daughter of the Serpent Moon Pack’s Alpha, was a woman who had been obsessed with him since childhood.
“She picked a dangerous week to demand anything,” Henrik growled, tossing his damp rag onto a rack as they passed it.
“Does she know about the contract?” “She knows enough,” Rysand murmured, matching his long strides toward the estate.
“News of the execution hit the outer territories yesterday.
She knows Alpha Colette was here with you, and she knows about the wedding.” Henrik didn’t bother with his coat, throwing his white shirt over his head as they crossed the stone threshold into the main house.
The warmth of the inner halls hit him, along with the faint, suffocating scent of jasmine perfume drifting from the grand foyer.
She was standing near the foot of the marble staircase, her blonde hair perfectly styled against the collar of her dark velvet cloak, poised as always.
A man in a black suit and dark shades stood beside her.
Two SilverFang guards kept a respectable distance, visibly uncomfortable under her sharp, piercing glare.
The moment Henrik’s boots echoed against the polished floor, Harmony turned, her blue eyes flashing with a mix of hurt and fury.
“Henrik,” she whined, taking three swift steps toward him before Rysand shifted his weight, placing himself half a step in front of his Alpha.
Her nostrils flared as she caught his scent, still potent from training, her eyes going wide with a hunger that had unsettled him since they were children.
“Let’s go inside,” Henrik said coldly.
Rysand led the way down the polished corridor into a brightly lit sitting room.
Henrik gestured for Harmony to sit, taking the leather armchair across from her while Rysand stood at his right side.
Her companion, introduced only as her Beta, Damon, remained standing behind her.
A maid stepped softly into the room and bowed.
“Alpha.” “What can I offer you?” Henrik asked, not breaking eye contact with Harmony.
“Chamomile tea, please,” she said smoothly, tilting her head.
The maid glanced at Damon, who gave a slight shake of his head, declining any refreshment, and retreated.
“What brings you here?” Henrik asked, his tone flat.
“I hear congratulations are in order,” she said, her voice dripping with derision.
“Thank you, and what does that have to do with you?” She bristled, crossing her arms over her chest.
“That seat belongs to me.
Cancel whatever offer she made you.
I can double it.” Henrik scoffed.
“She’s bad for you, Henrik.
Can’t you see that?
She’s only been here a few days and trouble followed.
You even executed a pack member for her!” “I executed a traitor for treason on SilverFang soil,” Henrik corrected, his voice dropping into a low, warning register.
“And you barged into my territory without an appointment, Harmony.” “An appointment?” She let out a sharp laugh, clutching her cloak.
“I am the daughter of the Serpent Moon Alpha!
My father supported this pack when your pockets were empty!
And you replace me with the Wolf of Death?
Have you no shame?” Henrik stood, taking a single step forward.
His pheromones rolled off him in waves, stifling the air in the room.
Harmony shrank back into the cushions, her inner wolf whimpering beneath his authority.
“Watch your tone.
I won’t tolerate any form of disrespect,” Henrik said, every word dripping with cold iron.
“Alpha Colette is my fiancée.
She is the future Luna of SilverFang.
If you disrespect her name again under my roof, I will have my Beta haul you back to Serpent Moon territory himself.” Harmony’s lips trembled, anger melting into bitterness.
“She doesn’t care about you, Henrik!
She’s cold!
She’s cursed!
The whole realm knows what she does to men who cross her.
She will destroy this pack!
She will destroy Laura!” At the mention of his daughter, Henrik’s eyes flashed a dangerous, predatory gold.
Before he could snap, he heard a voice from the entry way.
“Papa!” Laura let go of her nanny’s hand at the threshold and came trotting straight into the room in her pink flowy dress, completely ignoring the guests as she ran right up to Henrik.
His lethal aura vanished instantly.
He leaned down, scooping his daughter up and sitting back down with her gently on his lap.
“Papa is just finishing a meeting, sweet girl,” Henrik said softly, his tone transforming completely as he stroked her hair.
The maid returned, carrying a tray with a steaming teacup for Harmony and a small plate of freshly baked butter cookies.
Laura’s eyes lit up.
She slid down off Henrik’s lap, trotted to the table, and grabbed a cookie, taking a big bite with a happy smile.
Harmony leaned forward slightly, putting on a soft, sweet smile.
“Hi, Laura.
It’s been a while.” Laura completely ignored her, chewing her cookie with her back turned.
Henrik glanced over at the nanny waiting by the doorway.
“Take her to her room.” Laura stepped back over to her father, crumbs on her chin, her grey eyes wide and serious.
“I want the pretty lady.
When is she coming back?” Henrik’s expression softened completely.
“Soon, little one.
Very soon.” Laura grabbed the edge of his shirt with her small hand.
“You promise?” Henrik nodded softly, brushing a stray dark curl from her forehead.
“Yes, I promise.” Reassured, Laura gave a bright nod and skipped happily back toward her nanny, taking her hand as they disappeared down the hallway.
Henrik remained seated, turning his attention back to Harmony as his expression hardened into stone once more.
“You have your answer.
Rysand will escort you to the gate.” Harmony’s eyes glistened with tears of frustration, but her voice came out low and cold.
“You’ll regret this, Henrik.
Mark my words.” She whipped her cloak around her shoulders, stood, and marched out of the room with Damon and Rysand right behind her.
As the heavy front doors slammed shut down the hall, Henrik stayed in his chair, looking out toward the entry way where his daughter had just disappeared.
I want the silver lady.
His chest heaved as his inner beast hit his ribs like live wire, sending a sharp, electric shockwave straight down his spine.
His wolf settled back into a low, satisfied purr at the thought of her.
He didn’t know yet that Harmony wasn’t finished.
Not even close.