The Alpha King stopped smiling when twenty-three rejected Omegas walked into his mating ball wearing ribbons that were supposed to mean they had been forgotten.

Three weeks had passed since the downfall of Baroness Celeste.

The palace was undergoing a massive transformation. The twenty-two formerly rejected Omegas had been appointed as leaders of various provincial districts, restoration efforts were underway, and the corrupt laws of the High Council were being systematically dismantled.

Grace sat at the head of the restored Council Table, reviewing agricultural reports alongside Nathaniel. She was a natural leader—sharp, compassionate, and unwavering in her commitment to the people.

However, dark clouds were brewing on the horizon.

A royal messenger rushed into the council chamber, breathing heavily, covered in sweat despite the freezing cold outside.

"Your Majesty! Lady Grace!" the messenger dropped to one knee. "Disaster in the Western Valley!"

Nathaniel stood up immediately. "Speak."

"The water supply in the three main farming districts... it’s been poisoned!" the messenger reported. "Thousands of villagers are falling ill with severe silver-burn fever. The crops are dying in the fields!"

Grace’s face paled. "Silver-burn fever? That’s a rare chemical poison made from refined silver ore. It’s highly toxic to wolves!"

"It’s Celeste’s faction," Nathaniel said, his eyes darkening with rage. "Her loyalists are still hiding in the western hills. They know we are rebuilding, and they want to cripple the kingdom’s food supply before the deep winter sets in."

"We need to go there," Grace said, standing up from her chair. "The modern apothecaries don't know how to cure silver-burn fever. But my grandmother’s journal contains the recipe for the antidote—it requires the extract of the Moon-Lily flower, which only grows in the northern peaks."

"It's too dangerous, Grace," Nathaniel insisted, walking over to her. "The western territory is full of Celeste's remnant mercenaries. They will be waiting for us."

"I am not a fragile flower to be kept in a glass house, Nathaniel," Grace said, leaning in close and looking him dead in the eye. "My people are dying. I have the knowledge to save them. You have the army to protect us. We go together."