They Said No Woman Could Survive One Night With the Alpha King, but the Woman Sent to Break Him Fell Asleep in His Arms Instead

Kane didn't jump to his feet. He didn't roar or smash the table.

He simply turned his head slowly toward Vivian. The dark amber in his eyes deepened into a lethal, glowing gold—not from loss of control, but from absolute, focused intent.

The air in the dining room instantly crystallized. The two council members behind Vivian gasped, grabbing their chests as the immense, terrifying weight of Kane's royal aura settled over them like a mountain of lead. They instantly dropped to one knee, bowing their heads in terrified submission.

Vivian’s knees wobbled violently. She gripped the back of a dining chair to keep from falling, her breath coming in ragged, terrified hitches.

"You dare bring your loud voice into my home, Vivian?" Kane said softly. The quietness of his tone was far more terrifying than a roar.

"Kane... please..." Vivian choked out, her face pale. "The council... the rules..."

"The rules state that any woman who survives a night in the private wing as a formal candidate earns the right to stand beside the King," Kane said smoothly, rising slowly from his chair. His massive frame blocked out the light from the window, casting a long, intimidating shadow across the room. "Harper Hayes did not just survive. She tamed the storm that your weak, ambitious sister ran screaming from."

Vivian swallowed hard, her eyes darting to Harper, who sat calmly at the table, quietly taking a sip of her coffee.

"She... she’s a nobody..." Vivian whispered desperately.

"She is the Alpha of Cascade," Kane corrected, his voice echoing with absolute authority. "And as of this morning, she is my chosen mate."

The declaration hung in the air like a thunderclap.

Vivian’s eyes widened in sheer horror. "Mate? Kane, you can't be serious! The council will never accept an unregistered small-pack female as the Queen of the Northern Territory!"

"The council does not give me permission, Vivian," Kane said, taking a slow step toward her. The raw power rolling off him made the glass windows vibrate. "The council exists because I allow it to exist. And if anyone in your family or on that council attempts to challenge Harper's authority, I will personally tear down their houses and leave them with nothing."

He leaned down, his glowing golden eyes inches from Vivian’s pale face. "Am I making myself clear?"

"Yes... Your Highness," Vivian squeaked out, her arrogance completely broken.