Chapter 1 The Omen of Ruin

Elaria's POV

Wind howls through the towering spires of Nyxvale, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and something else-something metallic, something wrong. The torches lining the grand hall flicker, shadows stretching long and jagged against the stone walls. My throne looms behind me, a symbol of power, yet tonight, I feel the weight of its emptiness more than ever.

They are watching me.

The Elders sit in a half-circle before me, their gazes sharp, their lips drawn into thin lines. Their silence is worse than their words. It thrums in the air, thick with unspoken doubts and veiled accusations. I can see it in their eyes-the question they do not dare to voice.

Why him?

I clench my jaw, my nails biting into the flesh of my palms. They think me weak for choosing Rowan. My mate. My bonded. The fates themselves deemed him mine, yet the whispers say otherwise. A warrior queen bound to an untested wolf-a disgrace, they murmur. A sign of the kingdom's impending downfall.

Fools.

Rowan is no ordinary wolf. They do not see what I see. They do not feel what I feel. But their doubt is infectious, seeping into the marrow of my people like a sickness. It festers in the barracks where warriors glance his way with barely concealed sneers. It lingers in the village squares where merchants whisper behind cupped hands. Even now, it seeps into this chamber, curling around my throat like a noose.

"My Queen," Elder Varek finally speaks, his voice brittle as old parchment. "Word of the disappearances spreads faster than we can contain. The outer villages grow restless. They demand answers."

A cold fist clenches around my chest. The disappearances. Entire clans vanishing in the dead of night, leaving only their abandoned homes and eerie, cryptic symbols carved into the trees. The first attack was dismissed as rogue interference. The second, an unfortunate accident. But now? Now, it is a pattern. A warning. A war cry from something we do not yet understand.

Rowan shifts beside me, his jaw tight. He feels the same unease I do. He has spent nights combing through the oldest texts, searching for any record of such symbols. He has ventured into the wilds, tracking scents that lead to nowhere. And yet, the Elders do not trust him. They never have.

"We must act swiftly," I say, keeping my voice steady. "Whatever force is behind this, it grows bolder. If we do nothing, the people will lose faith. We cannot afford to hesitate."

Elder Varek's gaze flickers to Rowan before settling back on me. "And what of your mate? Will he lead our warriors, or shall he remain a mere shadow by your side?"

A deliberate challenge. A test. My breath stills as I turn to Rowan, searching his storm-gray eyes. He meets my gaze, unyielding, and I know-this moment will define him in the eyes of the kingdom.

His next words will change everything.

The torches lining the grand hall flickered as the council members murmured among themselves. Their gazes, sharp as daggers, cut into me from every angle, dissecting, judging. I could hear their thoughts even without the gift of mind-link-whispers of doubt, of discontent, of betrayal.

"She's weakened us," one of them had said before the gathering. "An Alpha Queen bound to a mate like him? It's a disgrace."

I should have silenced them then. But silence does not quell the tide; it only lets it build.

I stood at the center, my hands clenched at my sides, nails biting into my palms. Rowan stood beside me, his expression unreadable, shoulders stiff as if bracing for another blow. They had not stopped since his selection. Not a day passed without another challenge, another insult, another test meant to see him fail.

But he had not.

And that infuriated them more.

Elders sat in a half-circle before us, their robes pooling around them in thick waves of fabric. The highest among them, Councilor Alden, steepled his fingers, his sharp blue eyes narrowing.

"The unrest in Nyxvale grows," he said at last, his voice deceptively calm. "There are whispers-"

"There are always whispers," I interrupted, my tone cool but firm. "Perhaps if you spent less time listening to them and more time enforcing order, we wouldn't be here."

A murmur rippled through the chamber. A challenge. A warning.

Alden's mouth twitched, but he did not rise to it. "It is not order we lack, Your Majesty. It is faith."

My pulse hammered against my ribs.

Faith.

The word hung heavy between us. I knew what he meant, what they all meant. They did not trust Rowan. And by extension, they no longer trusted me.

Rowan exhaled slowly, but he said nothing. He had learned that speaking only fed their disdain.

"Faith is earned," I said evenly. "And he will earn it."

Alden tilted his head, as if considering me. "And if he doesn't?"

The challenge was clear. The line was drawn.

Before I could respond, a sharp knock echoed against the chamber doors. The guards hesitated before pushing them open, revealing a warrior clad in dust and blood.

His eyes met mine, and I knew-

Something had happened.

He dropped to one knee. "My Queen," he rasped. "The outer villages. They're gone."

A hush fell over the room. Gone?

My heart slammed against my ribs.

"How?" I demanded.

The warrior swallowed hard. "We don't know. There were no bodies. No signs of struggle. Just...emptiness. And symbols carved into the trees."

My stomach turned to ice.

Symbols, or warnings.

Rowan shifted beside me. I felt it-the sudden tension, the sharp inhale. He knew something.

Alden leaned forward. "Rogues?"

The warrior hesitated. "No. This wasn't the work of wolves."

A fresh wave of unease coiled through me.

Rowan took a step forward. "Take me there," he said.

I turned to him sharply. "Rowan-"

"If this is what I think it is," he said quietly, "then I need to see it for myself."

There was something in his voice. Something dark.

A part of me wanted to demand answers right then and there. But I knew better.

Instead, I met his gaze. "Then we go together."

Alden exhaled sharply, his displeasure evident. "Your Majesty, surely you don't mean to leave the capital when-"

I turned on him with a look that had silenced greater men. "I do."

Because whatever this was, it wasn't just an attack.

It was a message.

And I intended to answer it.