The clearing remained silent long after Crowe's body hit the ground. Not a single Alpha spoke. Not one shifted. The air was frozen, locked around the realization of what had happened.
Ronan Vael had won.
Not by circumstance.
Not by luck.
By overwhelming, undeniable force.
He stood at the edge of the broken ash circle, his posture calm, breath steady. His eyes had faded from the burning white of the Reaver Form back to the clean, sharp red of an Alpha. Blood clung to his claws and dripped onto the dirt, but he didn't bother wiping it away.
He didn't need to.
He wasn't hiding who he was.
Across the circle, Alphas struggled to keep their faces neutral. Some stepped back instinctively when Ronan's gaze passed over them. Others stiffened. A few braver ones held his eyes—but even they broke contact first.
Hailey approached from the side, moving slowly. Colton stayed half a step behind her, his jaw set but eyes still wide. Ronan could smell his heartbeat—fast, strained, struggling to steady itself.
Only Hailey seemed completely composed. She placed a hand lightly on Ronan's arm, careful not to touch the dried blood.
"Your eyes are back to normal," she said quietly.
Ronan nodded. "For now."
Hailey dipped her chin once in understanding. She didn't speak of the Reaver Form in front of the others. The Alphas had seen enough without her adding fuel to the fire.
The Council Druid stepped forward again, his staff planting into the ground harder than before.
"The challenge is complete. The grievance has been answered by death. Territory transfer is sealed."
His voice cut through the tension.
Council Chair Dorian Hale moved next, his presence a steady push of authority. "Alphas may step forward to offer acknowledgment."
There was no tradition of congratulations. No applause. Only acknowledgment—recognition of a rightful kill and rightful dominance.
The first Alpha stepped forward, cautious.
"Texas," he said with a shallow nod.
Ronan inclined his head once.
Another Alpha stepped forward.
"Texas," she said.
Then another.
"Texas."
One by one, Alphas approached, each speaking the title of his state. Not all did—acknowledgment was voluntary—but enough approached to make the message clear.
Ronan had done the impossible.
He ruled two states.
And the rest of the supernatural world had to decide what that meant.
When the last Alpha finished, the Druid raised his staff once more.
"This Gathering will reconvene in one hour for remaining council matters."
A dim pulse of energy marked the end of the session. The circle loosened, Alphas drifting away in tight clusters or quiet pairs.
Ronan didn't move immediately.
Hailey finally broke the silence.
"They're afraid of you."
Ronan looked at her, his blue-green human eyes sharpening slightly. "Good."
Colton exhaled, tension loosening from his chest. "Yeah, well… they should be. That was—Alpha, that was something else."
Ronan didn't respond. His gaze lifted to the line of trees where the air still seemed thick. The energy of fifty Alphas remained suspended in the clearing, the echo of dominance lingering like a scent.
Then—
A voice.
"You didn't hide much today."
Gunther Blackwell, the massive Montana Chair, stepped out of the thinning crowd. Thick arms crossed, expression unreadable, wolf aura radiating with weight.
Ronan didn't turn fully toward him. "Nothing to hide."
Gunther grunted. "That's not what I meant."
Hailey stepped half in front of Ronan on instinct. Gunther's eyes flicked to her, noting the protective movement with interest.
Ronan finally faced him. "Speak plainly."
Gunther did.
"You didn't just beat Crowe," the Montana Alpha said. "You terrified half the circle. They'll deny it, but I felt it."
Ronan didn't reply.
Gunther continued. "You killed an Alpha after he admitted poisoning you. That will shift the political table."
Colton tensed. "Are you saying the Council will punish him?"
Gunther snorted. "Punish him? No. Crowe broke law first. Poison is coward's work. Texas acted within full rights."
He paused deliberately.
"What worries the Council is you."
Ronan's expression didn't change, but the air around him tightened slightly.
"What about me?" he asked.
Gunther held his gaze.
"Texas is powerful. New Mexico was strong. You now hold both. And you showed a power today that hasn't been seen in generations."
Hailey's jaw flexed.
Gunther added, "The Council will watch you closely. Some will fear you. Some will respect you. Some will try to test you. Some might try to use you."
Ronan said nothing.
Gunther leaned in slightly. "So hear me when I say this, Vael. Crowe was your first Alpha kill. Don't let anyone make you feel guilt for that."
Ronan's voice was calm, clipped. "I don't."
Gunther nodded once. "Good."
He turned as if to walk away, then paused.
"The Council will speak to you after recess. Your presence is required."
He left without another word.
Colton ran a hand through his hair. "Alpha… two states. Council attention. Every Alpha here watching us. That puts a target on your back the size of—"
Ronan cut him off quietly. "Let them try."
Hailey looked at Ronan, studying him with the intuition only a deeply trained druid could possess.
"You feel different," she said. "Not from the fight—from the acceptance."
Ronan's blue-green eyes narrowed a fraction. "Two states require two levels of strength."
Hailey nodded. "And you've already proven you have both."
Ronan looked at the blood drying on his hands.
"Crowe made a choice," he said. "He forced my hand."
Hailey's voice softened. "You didn't kill a man, Ronan. You killed a danger."
Ronan didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
What mattered now wasn't Crowe.
It was what came next.
Because the moment Ronan claimed New Mexico, the supernatural hierarchy of the United States shifted—and the Council would feel the ripple.
And so would Beacon Hills.