The Midnight Queen's POV
I was no longer just the Queen. I felt him inside me, the First Wolf, his ancient power stretching through my blood like black ice. My followers knelt before me in the ruins of the rite site, their eyes wide with fear and wonder.
"Rise," I ordered, my voice now a strange blend of my own and something deeper, older.
My fingers flexed, getting used to the new power flowing through me. The failed ritual hadn't been a total disaster after all. Though Sienna and her protectors had fled, the gate had opened just enough to let part of the god through.
Into me.
"My Queen," Isolde, my faithful witch, approached carefully. "What are your orders?"
I smiled, feeling my face crack slightly at the edges. The magic was still settling, changing me.
"The Ruby Wolf thinks she's safe," I said, walking toward the center of the area where Zeke had disappeared. "She thinks her brother's sacrifice stopped us."
