Chapter 6 - The Sovereign Shift
Jacob stared in absolute awe at the woman standing before him. The crushing weight of her aura was overwhelming—it surpassed his own Alpha power, forcing his inner beast to bow its head in instinctual reverence.
"Reena..." Jacob whispered, terrified to move, terrified that if he breathed too loudly, the vision would vanish.
Reena took a step forward, her feet barely touching the stone floor. The silver light in her eyes slowly softened, receding until her natural, warm brown eyes returned, though tiny speckles of swirling silver remained embedded in her irises like stardust.
She looked down at her hands, watching the ethereal magic fade beneath her skin. For twenty-three years, she had felt empty—a void where a wolf should have been. Now, her soul felt vast, boundless, as deep as an endless ocean. She didn't have a wolf trapped inside her ribcage; she was the master of the magic itself.
"Mama?"
A small voice broke the divine silence. Samuel was sitting up on the velvet cushion, rubbing his eyes with chubby fists. He looked at Reena, completely unharmed, his infant aura calm and perfectly balanced.
The silver aura vanished entirely. Reena dropped to her knees and scooped Samuel into her arms, covering his face with frantic, loving kisses. "I'm here, baby. I'm here. I've got you."
Jacob crawled toward them on his hands and knees, wrapping his massive arms around both of them, pulling them into a tight, desperate embrace. He buried his face in Reena’s shoulder, his broad chest heaving with silent, grateful sobs.
"I thought I lost you," Jacob choked out, his voice raw. "I thought my selfishness killed you."
Reena didn't pull away this time. She rested her head against his shoulder, feeling the rapid, chaotic beat of his heart. The anger that had consumed her earlier had burned away in the fire of her awakening.
"You lied to me, Jacob," she said quietly, her voice ringing with a newfound, majestic authority. "You used me."
"I did," Jacob admitted freely, looking up at her with raw vulnerability. "And I will spend every remaining day of my life begging for your forgiveness. I will relinquish the throne. I will strip myself of my title. I will do whatever you ask—just do not leave my side."
Reena looked deep into his eyes. She saw no deception left in him—only the broken, bleeding heart of a man who would tear down the sky to keep his family safe.
"We aren't done yet," Reena said, turning her head toward the narrow slit window overlooking the citadel courtyard.
The sound of distant horns echoed through the night. Smoke was rising from the lower ring of the city.
"The rogue army," Jacob growled, his jaw tightening as his Alpha instincts snapped back into focus. "The attack on the palace was just a distraction. Their main force is besieging the city gates. Beta Cornelius is holding the line, but they are outnumbered."
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Jacob stood up, reaching for his discarded broadsword. "Stay here with Samuel. I will go down and finish them."
"No," Reena said, standing up alongside him, holding Samuel securely against her hip. Her eyes flashed with a brief burst of blinding silver light. "We go together."
