#Chapter 62 – None But Her

Damon The numbers stared back at me, neat and sharp and final. I tapped the edge of the parchment with the corner of my ring, the metallic clink loud in the otherwise quiet chamber. The candidate standings. An elegant way of saying who was rising, and who the court had begun to forget. And who I was supposed to mate with like some royal stud. Nora was climbing. She had poise. Confidence. Her Pack was well-positioned politically, and her council performance had been impressive, if a bit rehearsed. The nobles had taken to calling her “the favored flame.” The public polls mirrored the sentiment. “Strategic alignment with her would be well-received,” Jackson said quietly from across the desk. “She polls highly among the eastern territories, and the nobles in the North have signaled tentative support.” “And Vanessa?” I asked. “Still strong,” Ronan said. “But slipping. Her family’s recent trade deals with the Western coast are under scrutiny.” “And Elena?” That sile