Chapter 228 Aidan's First Task

• Aidan stood before the wide, ornate mirror in his private chambers, adjusting the collar of his dark suit jacket. The weight of the Alpha's insignia rested heavily on his shoulders, not just in the physical sense but in the gravity of the responsibility it symbolized. The emblem, a silver wolf's head encircled by a ring of intricate designs, had been passed down through generations. Now, it was his to bear.
• The room was bathed in the soft light of the early morning sun, filtering through the tall windows that lined one side of the chamber. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of pine from the forest that surrounded their territory. Aidan's movements were slow, deliberate, as he fastened the last button of his jacket. He caught a glimpse of his reflection, seeing not just the young man he had been but the Alpha he was now expected to be. His expression was calm, but his eyes—deep and stormy—betrayed the turbulence he kept hidden beneath the surface.
• Today marked the second day of his reign as Alpha of the Red Moon Pack, and already the burden of leadership was pressing down on him. He had anticipated challenges, but the weight of them was more than he had imagined. It didn’t help that the specter of his half-brother, Isaac, loomed over him, locked away in the dungeon below. Aidan’s thoughts kept drifting to Isaac, wondering what his father, Logan, would think of the decisions he was making.