Chapter 123

Brayden's POV Silence. Jack's face twisted with rage first. His hand shot out, flipping the heavy oak table in front of him, sending maps scattering. "He dares?" His voice rose, hoarse with disbelief. "He takes her from me, marks her, and claims a crown as if the Silver Lake Pack is nothing?" My jaw was clenched so tightly that a muscle in my cheek ticked. Unlike Jack, my fury was quieter, sharper, a blade rather than an explosion. "I told you," I said finally, my tone low. "I told you she would never choose you." "Shut up," Jack snarled. "This is your fault as much as anyone's, You let her slip through your hands, and now he parades her as queen." "I didn't lose her," I said, eyes narrowing. "You did. Because you couldn't control yourself. You think force is loyalty? You think keeping her in chains would make her yours?" The argument ignited like oil on fire. The room filled with snarls and shouts as our wolves pushed to the surface. Soldiers outside the door froze, unwilling to inter