[Daphne’s POV]
Hector's claws are inches from my throat when Xander slams into him from the side.
They crash to the floor in a tangle of violence—snarls and impacts and the sound of bodies hitting stone. I scramble backward, my heart hammering, watching as they fight with savage intensity.
Hector has the experience and cunning of an Alpha in his prime, decades of combat training behind every move. But Xander fights with something more dangerous—the desperation of someone protecting his mate.
They're evenly matched. Hector pins Xander, claws slashing toward his throat. Xander rolls, reversing the position, his fist connecting with Hector's jaw with bone-crushing force. Blood spatters the floor. My father shouts something, guards moving forward, but they can't intervene without risking being caught in the violence.
And then my wolf surges forward.
Not with fear. Not with panic. With rage.
Pure, volcanic, sovereign rage.
The shift happens before I can stop it—not that I want to. My bones reshape, my body expands, white fur erupting across my skin. Power radiates from me like heat, like pressure, like the weight of mountains.
The growl that tears from my throat isn't a warning.
It's a command.
Both males freeze mid-struggle. Hector's claws are raised to strike. Xander's teeth are bared, ready to rip out his father's throat. But they both stop instantly, their wolves responding to something primal. Something undeniable.
They separate. Both of them dropping into submissive postures—heads lowered, throats exposed, bodies trembling with the instinctive need to submit to the dominant wolf in the room.
Me.
I'm not just a Crown Princess. I'm a Lycan Queen in the making. And my wolf's dominance eclipses everyone in this room—including my father.
The King stares at me with an expression I've never seen on anyone's face. Pride. Wonder. And something like awe. "Magnificent,"
"Guards!" His voice carries Alpha authority, but even he sounds subdued compared to the power still radiating from my wolf. "Arrest Alpha Hector Silvermoon for treason against the Crown."
Royal guards flood into the room, surrounding Hector. They shackle him in silver—the metal that neutralizes wolf abilities, that burns against shifter skin. He doesn't resist, still too affected by my dominance display, but his face contorts with fury and disbelief.
"This isn't over," he snarls at me, even as they drag him toward the door. "You think you've won, but you're still nothing without me. Still the worthless omega I found—"
My growl cuts him off. His words die in his throat as primal fear flashes across his face.
The guards haul him from the room, and the door slams shut behind them.
I shift back immediately, the transformation leaving me naked and trembling. Not from cold. From adrenaline. From relief so overwhelming it threatens to buckle my knees.
Xander is there before I can fall. He wraps a blanket around me—where did he get it? I don't care—and holds me as I shake, his arms solid and sure around my trembling body.
"You're safe now," he murmurs against my hair, his voice rough. "He can't hurt you anymore. I've got you. You're safe."
I bury my face in his chest and let myself break. Just for a moment. Just long enough to release the terror I've been holding back.
Then I pull myself together. Because this isn't over yet.
The pack is in chaos.
Their Alpha has been arrested for treason. The news spreads through the pack house like wildfire, and within an hour, nearly every pack member has gathered in the great hall. Their voices rise in argument, accusation, disbelief.
Half the pack wants to riot. To demand Hector's release. He's their leader, their chosen Alpha, the one who's led them for decades. They refuse to believe the accusations against him.
The other half is horrified. Disgusted that their Alpha would drug and manipulate anyone, let alone the Crown Princess. Ashamed they didn't see it happening. Terrified of what this means for their pack's future.
I stand before them all on the raised platform at the front of the hall. My father stands on my right, regal and commanding in his royal attire. Xander stands on my left, blood still drying on his split knuckles, his presence solid as stone.
I'm dressed in royal regalia for the first time—midnight blue silk that flows like water, silver embroidery catching the light with every movement. I look every inch the Princess I am. The crescent mark on my shoulder blade is visible above the dress's back, glowing faintly with residual power.
"Alpha Hector has been removed for crimes against the Crown and against sacred law," my father announces, his voice carrying to every corner of the hall. "Until trial and formal succession is determined, this pack needs leadership."
His eyes scan the assembled wolves. Hundreds of faces staring back, waiting for judgment. For direction.
"I name Xander Silvermoon acting Alpha of Crescent Moon Pack."
The room erupts.
Some voices support it immediately—Xander is the strongest warrior, the natural heir, the one who exposed his father's crimes. Others object loudly—he's too young, too aggressive, compromised by his relationship with me.
"How can we trust any Silvermoon after what Alpha Hector did?" someone shouts from the back. I can't see who, but their voice carries clearly. "Maybe the entire bloodline is corrupt. Maybe we need fresh leadership from outside the family."
It's a calculated strike. Murmurs of agreement ripple through the crowd, gaining momentum. I feel Xander tense beside me, his jaw clenching with barely controlled fury.
Before he can respond—before he can defend himself and potentially make it worse—I step forward.
My wolf rises to the surface. Not shifting. Just lending her power to my voice, giving me the Alpha dominance that silences everyone instantly.
"Xander Silvermoon is the one who exposed his own father's crimes," I say, my voice ringing through the hall with undeniable authority. "He put justice above family loyalty. Truth above convenience. Truth above his own safety and position."
I let my gaze sweep across the crowd, meeting eyes, daring anyone to contradict me. "That's not corruption. That's honor."
I find the area where the objection came from, directing my words there specifically. "And those of you who question his character while saying nothing about how I was treated for years are hypocrites."
The accusation lands like a physical blow. Pack members flinch. Look away.
"You stood by while Connor humiliated me," I continue, my voice hard. "While pack members tormented me. While your Alpha manipulated and controlled me. You participated or you ignored it—which is the same thing. Xander is the only one who fought for me when it actually mattered. When there was a cost to doing so."
The shame is visible now. Pack members have the grace to look guilty, to acknowledge their own complicity in what happened to me.
"But I'm not asking you to trust him because of me," I say, softening my tone slightly. "I'm asking you to choose the strongest, most capable leader you have. The one who will put this pack's welfare above his own interests. The one who's proven he has the spine to do what's right even when it's hard."
I pause, letting the words settle. "And that's Xander."
The King steps forward. "By royal decree and pack law, this requires a vote. All in favor of Xander Silvermoon as acting Alpha?"
Hands rise. Not all of them—several of Hector's closest allies refuse, their faces set in stubborn denial. But the majority supports him. Overwhelming majority. Recognizing strength and honor when they see it.
"All opposed?"
Scattered hands. Maybe twenty out of three hundred pack members.
"The vote is decided." My father's voice carries finality. "Xander Silvermoon is acting Alpha of Crescent Moon Pack, pending formal succession trials."
As the pack swears allegiance—the traditional words of loyalty spoken in unison—I feel the shift in power. It's not visible, but it's tangible. Real. Xander's presence grows, his authority solidifying like something physical settling over his shoulders.
He's no longer just the heir. No longer the second son.
He's the Alpha.
And when his eyes meet mine across the assembled pack, I see everything we've fought for reflected back at me. Freedom. Justice. Truth. The future we're going to build together—not because we were forced, but because we chose it.
Because we chose each other.