Chapter 257: A Battle
The morning sun was bright, its rays casting golden streaks across the dusty town square. The air buzzed with tension, thick enough to choke on. A makeshift table had been set in the middle of the plaza—nothing fancy, just a few planks and chairs—but the importance of what was about to happen made it feel like a throne room.
The crowd had already gathered, spilling out of alleyways and doorways, lining the edges of the square with eager eyes and hushed whispers. Word had spread like wildfire that the Snow Leopard Clan and the Lion King were about to negotiate face-to-face, with the mysterious wolf mate of Alpha Ronan acting as the wolf clan’s representative.
Most of the townsfolk had never seen Riven before. They had imagined someone... Softer. Weaker. Rumours painted him as a quiet, delicate mate, Ronan had hidden away. Some even whispered he was just a pretty face—someone kept for show, not politics.
But as soon as Riven stepped forward to take his seat at the table, those whispers turned to stunned silence.
He wasn’t tall like Leon or broad-shouldered like Soren, but he carried himself with unmistakable resolve. His eyes were sharp, his steps steady. He was dressed modestly in the wolf clan’s formal greys and dark blues, but it was the way he stood—chin up, posture firm—that struck people the most.
Riven was always dressed in a simple white shirt and simple black trousers, they were the easiest to remove... And not too expensive that he would regret if it was ripped off- Cough. Anyway, he decided to wear something formal, he was representing the wolf clan after all. He wondered where Ronan was.
He looked like he belonged there.
Still, the people weren’t convinced. Their loyalties had shifted over time. Despite being wolves by blood, and despite they themselves requesting not to be under the governance of any clan, they held resentment towards Ronan for not giving them the same benefits as their people did. Though they did not want him as a leader, they wanted the benefits just because they were wolves.
Leon, on the other hand, radiated confidence and fire. His charisma and ambition stirred something in them—something that craved power, dominance, and glory. They were tired of living like this. They wanted to jump ships, to something far more glorious.