91. Favored Son

The morning sun streamed through the tall windows of the royal dining room, casting long shadows across the polished wooden floor. The air was thick with tension, the kind that made it hard to breathe. Kael stood silently near the fireplace, his arms crossed, his jaw clenched so tightly it looked like it might shatter. His usually confident demeanor was replaced by a simmering rage, barely contained beneath the surface. Darius, the Alpha King, paced the room like a caged predator, his footsteps echoing ominously. His face was flushed with anger, his silver hair disheveled as though he’d been running his hands through it repeatedly. He stopped abruptly and threw the morning newspaper onto the coffee table with such force that it slid off and landed at Kael’s feet. The headline was impossible to miss. “Royal Scandal: Kael Caught in Compromising Position with Omega.” Beneath it was a grainy but unmistakable photo of Kael, naked and furious, being swarmed by reporters. Luna Cassandra sat o