Zephyrine Heat. Stillness. Silence. I never expected to attract his attention… but here it is. His eyes are green. Bright, almost glowing. Not natural. Otherworldly. “Have we met?” a voice asks. Apex’s. And I swear my heart skips a beat. He’s talking to me. I blink in surprise, not just because of that deep, husky voice that wraps around my spine like smoke, but because of his eyes. They’re no longer green. Now… they’re grey. Cold. Beautiful. “We met briefly last night. At the memorial hall,” I said quietly, trying not to flinch under the weight of his gaze. He stares again. Silent. Intense. Like he’s peeling back layers of me with a single look.Now I feel Nyroth’s gaze on me too. Everyone is watching. “What’s your name?” Apex asks again, voice lower this time, like the wind before a storm. And now his eyes shift to hazel. Deep. Shadowed. They seem to change with his mood. Mysterious. Captivating. “I am Zephyrine,” I respond, voice soft. “Zephyrine,” he says fully, cleanly, slowly. I meet his gaze again. He blinks, a gentle, controlled motion that somehow makes him feel more dangerous. “I want a silent coronation,” he says, calm but edged with steel. “Who do you think can handle it better?” A chill runs down my spine at the sudden weight of his question. I glance across from me. Nyroth is staring steadily, Kaela’s eyes locked on mine. The Lycan heir just asked for my opinion. I almost smirk, wickedly.“Dessyn Dusk of the White Pack has handled many festivals,” I say firmly. “Most held in Ash Pack. I can assure you, Your Highness, she will make you proud.” “Zeph…” Nyroth starts, warning me, but I ignore him completely. My eyes stay fixed on Apex. I want to see what he’ll say. He lowers his gaze, and I notice a small frown crease his forehead. One of his elder sisters reaches for his palm on the table. “I’m fine,” he whispers softly to her. His voice has lost none of its strength, even in tenderness. That gesture makes my heart swell. It wasn’t long before the raven on his shoulder flew away from the hall, surprising me. After a few seconds, Apex looks back at me and nods. He was about to speak when Kaela shot to her feet before anyone else could make an attempt, pride radiating from her like a blade drawn from its sheath. “Your Highness, I volunteer,” she declared, chin lifted. “No one is more suited for the honor than me.”Her eyes gleamed as she turned, pinning Dessyn with a venomous look. “Especially her. I can’t wait to see what she dares bring to the field, though I doubt there’ll be anything worth remembering.” Apex’s gaze lingered on me, silence stretching as though he weighed her words. He had been moments from granting the role to Dessyn outright, but Kaela’s bold challenge shifted the air in the hall. A trial of strength, skill, and grace, the very qualities of a true hostess, it tempted him too much to refuse. “Fine,” he murmured at last, almost to himself. “We’ll decide who hosts through competition.” Kaela’s lips curled in triumph as she sank back into her chair. She cast a downward glance at Dessyn, savoring her imagined victory until I swallowed hard, pulse quickening, and muttered before I could stop myself, my voice cutting through the charged silence. “She won’t be the one drawing the arrows. I will.” A stunned silence falls. Kai’s glare slices across me. Nyroth’s face is hard, unreadable. I ignore them all and lower my gaze, exhaling slowly. Archery. The first time I’ll touch a bow in five years. My fingers itch for it already. When the date and time arrive from Apex Blood, his eyes are still on me, even as I avoid his gaze. “Tonight. In my Kingdom. Whoever wins will host the coronation, earn my favor, and secure a seal deal for their pack.” “My Prince,” Kaela says with mock sweetness. “Can the werewolves come too?” Silence descends immediately. She wants a bigger audience, bigger humiliation. She wants to bask in her own glory. The beta nods, unsurprised, as though he anticipated the question and he knows what Apex would want too. “Yes, you may,” comes the cold reply. Kaela smirks straight at me.“Too bad you’ll be facing more than you can handle tonight. Good thing you’re a rogue with no family. That way no one will even care if you embarrass yourself.” Dessyn rises to retort, but I press a hand to her arm. Better to wait and prove her wrong with action than with words. Apex soon left the hall with his sisters and beta, leaving us werewolves tense. Nyroth finally rises too, eyes fixed on me as he leads Kaela away. Kai, ever silent and sharp, follows. They leave the hall in quiet disdain. “Zephyr, you can’t do this,” Dessyn says, finally speaking as Alpha Auedric and his beta remain nearby. “It’s been five years since you touched a weapon. Don’t start now because of me. You made a vow to leave your battle life behind until you find your brother.” I remain quiet for a moment. She’s right. But some vows are meant to be broken. Slowly, I turn to Alpha Auedric. “I won’t push you to take up arms for the White Pack, Zephyr,” he says quietly. “But I’d be more than happy if you did. A seal deal with the Lycan Kingdom. Your best friend becoming the first werewolf ever to host a coronation. And the chance to shut that brat Kaela for good. But it’s your choice. Will you do it… or not?”