The great hall was completely empty of its usual dinner crowds, the long trestle tables pulled back against the black granite walls to clear a wide space in front of the central hearth. The massive iron logs had been stoked until the flames licked the stone throat of the chimney, throwing a fierce, hot amber glare across the center of the flagstones.

Kaelen stood by the high hearth rail, his dark vanguard coat unbuttoned to reveal a clean linen tunic of dark crimson, the formal color of the reigning Alpha’s line. His large hands were tucked into his belt, his hazel eyes tracking the heavy leather curtain at the back...