2538 Rites of Passage (Part 4)

The muzzle of the guard was impassible, but small tears drenched the fur around his eyes. He had not only witnessed the demise of Ikara, but also experienced his pain, love, and last wishes through the mind link the alpha shared with the members of his pack.

When the adult Hati opened the door, the desperate owls of the pup were drowned by those of the wargs outside who also had perceived the last moments of the late King and had been forced to resist the impulse to sacrifice their lives to save his.

Solus was still frozen in shock from the coronation of the new King when Ymnar the Fomor walked in front of the Queen, right where Ikara had stood until a minute ago.

"Do you need a moment, my liege?" He asked while helping her to sit down before her shacky knees buckled.

"No, Warlord." Syrah shook her head. "I could use help in choosing my son's spouse. We need fresh and better blood if we want to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past."