Chapter 701: Flinch & They’ll Fuck You Standing

SHADOWCLAW — ALPHA’S CHAMBERS

A woman was about to enter a boys’ club. One Serena had entered before and did not enjoy whatsoever.

She gave herself one last look. The mirror showed a woman whose green eyes were steady and whose jaw was set and whose composure was doing the structural work of an entire delegation.

Serena gave Fin’s hand one squeeze and left his chambers.

Her mind was racing because the war room today had conveniently forgotten that she was also the Crown Princess of Drakenfell, not just their future Luna, herself included. They had been so busy debating whether sending their future Luna in Fin’s stead was wise that they had forgotten that part.

Attending this council would announce her double-crown to all of Skardos. Then again, there might not be a double-crown. A temporary double crown, at least until Shadowclaw’s Alpha woke up.

With any luck, the Alphas of Skardos had worse shit to worry about than her.

???

SHADOWCLAW — CORRIDOR OUTSIDE THE ALPHA’S WING

Beta Sharpe was waiting in the corridor with Gamma Knox, Aeron, Captain Ravenhall, and Elder Voss.

Serena turned the corner and five sets of eyes assessed her simultaneously.

Beta Sharpe’s expression shifted by a degree. The degree was approval delivered in the language of military officers, which was to say, the absence of criticism.

Gamma Knox gave a single nod. The nod was the nod.

Aeron’s mouth twitched. The twitch was the twitch of a mage whose Luna had walked out of an Alpha’s chambers looking like a woman whose evening plans included conquering a room full of kings.

Elder Voss stared, his face showing that his expectations had just been exceeded.

Serena looked at them. Her delegation. Her wall. Five men whose presence at her back was the architecture that made the seat at the table defensible and whose architecture she was about to test against a room full of Alpha Kings.

A calmness washed over Serena in that moment, like this was exactly where she was supposed to be.

"Gentlemen." She adjusted the clasp at her collar. "If I look like I know what I am doing, just roll with it."

Gamma Knox let out a warm laugh. His professionalism had just been breached by a queen whose humor arrived when the tension required cutting.

Beta Sharpe’s mouth curved.

Elder Voss looked like he was one joke away from a cardiac event.

Aeron opened a portal. On the other side, grey stone and torchlight. Stormveil Keep.

Serena stepped through first. Her delegation followed.

Serena had once heard Viremont say something vile but also correct, "Walk into every room like you’ve already fucked everyone in it and they should be grateful."

Translation: Keep your legs moving and your face shut. Flinch and they’ll fuck you standing.

That was exactly what Serena Drakenfell was going to do here.

The council doors opened.

Serena walked in chin up, full-crown, stone-faced, looking like she was born to do this. Beta Sharpe flanked her. Gamma Knox, Elder Voss, Aeron, and Captain Ravenhall filed in behind them.

They walked in a tight formation. Military. Shadowclaw ran a tight ship, so it was on brand. But this formation was in sync and tight enough to look like they had trained together. Outside of Captain Ravenhall, Serena hadn’t trained with any of them. Unless the battle the night prior counted. That didn’t include walking formations.

Conversations stopped. Heads turned. Nobody moved.

She met Tiberon’s gaze briefly. Then Garrett’s. Then Nightspire’s. She did not linger or react to any of them. She didn’t look for Dexmon or Gavriel or Hyran. Right now, she was the Queen of Shadowclaw and was going to sell the fuck out of that.

In the stands, Dexmon had gone completely rigid.

The rigidity started in his chest and radiated outward, locking every joint in sequence.

Why the hell was she walking with Shadowclaw’s delegation right now?

The realization arrived like a bucket of ice water being dumped over Dexmon’s head. She was representing Shadowclaw, not Drakenfell. She was in Shadowclaw attire.

But why was she here at all? Fin would not have sent her into a den of Alphas without telling Dexmon and Tiberon, and even then, there was zero chance Fin had approved this. This was dangerous for Serena.

That thought didn’t even have time to settle before the next observation bulldozed it.

She had a bruise under her eye and a busted lip. Both were new injuries.

He shook his head once, rejecting the idea of a battle or attack of some kind having occurred without him being notified of it. Shadowclaw didn’t fuck around with her safety. If she had been in danger, Dexmon would have felt it through their matebond. And Serena would have told him first thing if something had happened. Not to mention the fact that if Shadowclaw had been attacked, this entire council would have been made aware of it.

Their matebond had been reporting calm and stability for the last twelve hours. But under it, there was something else he hadn’t picked up on earlier. Something very different. Something wrong. Layered underneath the calm was grief.

Dexmon’s gold eyes went back to the cloak she had on. Every step she took produced a new question and every question was worse than the last.

Why was she walking in formation with Shadowclaw’s men like they had trained together? When the fuck did this happen? But he knew what he was seeing because he was a commander. They moved in step. That kind of coordination wasn’t accidental. That was drilled.

Why was Shadowclaw’s Beta flanking her? That was the Alpha’s spot. An elder was even in that formation. Elders were the slowest to accept change. Why was that one on board with her representing Shadowclaw at a goddamn war summit? Elders were the universal cockblock to change for every pack.

Outside of the Hidden Flame members and warriors, it took Drakenfell elders months to see Serena as a crown princess. Change is slow. Dexmon understood that. His mother didn’t make that easy for her, granted. But even if his mother wasn’t in the picture, elders don’t just accept someone new.

Why was this one completely fine with a foreign princess entering a hall to represent Shadowclaw?

Unless—

She hadn’t been crowned yet. Dexmon was sure of it. She would have told him. Right? But that didn’t look like someone who wasn’t crowned.