Chapter 4 CHA

"The harvest is dead, Kael. Look at it."

Kael leaned against the stone railing, his knuckles white. He didn't need Sarah's whining to see the grey silt and rotting timber of the Silver Moon valley. The air tasted of ash; the land's spiritual hum had been silent for years.

"The soil is tired," Kael rasped. "The Elders say it's a cycle."

"The Elders are fools," Sarah snapped, her silk skirts hissing as she paced. "The wolves are hungry. They're saying the Blood Moon rejection was a mistake."

Kael turned, eyes flashing gold. "I made that choice for the survival of this pack. Elara was a weakness. A powerless Omega would have been a death sentence."

"And look at us now!" Sarah gestured to the dying forest. "We need the Northern alliance. Is the Shadow Queen here?"

"The motorcade just crossed the ridge," Kael replied. "She carries herself like a god, Sarah. Don't embarrass me. We need her gold. We need her strength."

"I'm the Luna," Sarah said, adjusting her silver necklace with trembling hands. "She's just a warlord. She'll be impressed by our lineage."

Kael watched the black SUVs wind down the mountain. A strange pressure filled the air-a vibrating, metallic tang that made his hair stand up.

"Let's go down," Kael commanded. "The Queen of the North does not wait."

"Stay behind me, Leo," Elara said, her voice muffled by a black lace veil. "Keep your scent dampened. You are a shadow until I say otherwise."

Leo sat across from her in the armored interior. "I know, Mama. I can smell them. They smell sick. Like old meat."

Elara adjusted her royal furs. The land's agony pulsed through the soles of her boots. It was a silent scream for the Silver Lycan blood it had been denied.

"The land is grieving," Elara whispered. "It remembers."

The vehicle stopped. Elara saw Kael through the tinted glass. He looked haggard, but his posture remained arrogant. Beside him stood Sarah, her eyes darting with a desperate hunger.

"Ready?" Elara asked.

Leo nodded, silver eyes glowing for a second. "Ready."

Elara stepped out. Her black heels clicked against the cracked stone. She was a vision of dark elegance, her silhouette sharp and imposing. The Silver Moon wolves fell silent. They didn't see an Omega; they saw a predator.

Kael felt his breath catch. He had expected a scarred warrior, not this creature of overwhelming presence. His own Alpha wolf stirred-not in aggression, but in a frantic need to impress.

"Your Majesty," Kael said, bowing his head. "Welcome. I am Alpha Kael. We have much to discuss."

The Queen stood perfectly still. She gestured to the small, hooded figure behind her.

"The hospitality of the South is famous," a cool, authoritative voice came from behind the veil. "Though your trees seem to have forgotten the invitation."

Kael felt a jolt. The voice was hauntingly familiar, but the cadence was different-this was the voice of a commander.

"The land is in transition," Kael said, forcing a charming smile. He stepped closer, dropping his voice. "But perhaps the beauty of the North can bring the spring back. You are more stunning than the rumors suggested. A woman who conquers the wastes must have a heart of fire."

He reached out, feeling the vibrant energy radiating from her.

"Is that your strategy, Alpha?" the Queen asked. "Flattery in the face of famine? You haven't changed at all."

Kael froze. "Have we met, Majesty?"

"You have a short memory for someone who claims to lead a legacy."

Sarah stepped forward, face twisted in forced politeness. "The Queen is tired, Kael. We should take her inside. The banquet is prepared."

"In a moment," Kael said, eyes locked on the veil. The scent under the jasmine was muffled, but a sharp, metallic undertone made his wolf pace. "I would like to look my new ally in the eye. Transparency."

"Transparency," the Queen repeated with a chilling laugh. "A bold request from a man who lives in a house of glass."

She raised her gloved hands to the edge of the black lace. The courtyard went deathly silent. The veil was lifted.

Kael's heart stopped. The woman had skin like porcelain and blood-red lips, but her eyes-luminescent, piercing silver-sent him reeling backward.

"Elara?" he whispered.

The blood drained from his face. He looked at the woman he had sent to her death. She stood there radiating power that made his Alpha status feel like a toy.

"The Omega is dead, Kael," Elara said, her voice sharp as an executioner's blade. "You killed her five years ago. I am what's left."

Sarah let out a horrified gasp. The surrounding wolves began to murmur, terror rippling through the crowd as they recognized the woman they had once spat upon.

Kael's gaze dropped to the boy. The child pushed back his hood, revealing a face that was Kael's mirror image-except for the silver eyes full of ancient hatred.

"You..." Kael stammered. "Elara... who is this?"

Elara stepped forward, closing the distance until she was inches from his face. Her royal scent hit him like a tidal wave, crushing his lungs.

"This is the heir you said I could never give you," Elara whispered. "And he is the last thing you will ever see before your kingdom falls."

Kael's hand shook, but Elara didn't flinch. She looked at him with hollow pity.

"Guard!" Sarah shrieked. "This is a trick! Elara is dead!"

"I am very much alive, Sarah," Elara said, turning her gaze. Sarah stumbled back and tripped over her own skirts. "And I've spent every day of the last five years remembering exactly why."

Elara turned back to Kael, who was frozen.

"The Summit hasn't even begun, Alpha," Elara said with a cruel smile. "And you're already on your knees."

She swept past him, her furs leaving a trail of ice. Leo followed, pausing to let out a low, vibrating growl that forced Kael's wolf to submerge in pure, instinctual fear.

At the doors of the pack house, Elara looked over her shoulder.

"Dinner is at eight, isn't it? I hope the wine is better than the welcome."