CORONATION

**Third POV**

The entire King City glowed a golden hue in the setting sun, once one of the continent's most dazzling landmarks. All shapeshifters had yearned for this land, but it had gradually lost its luster.

The temperature in the square was pleasant, as tonight would be the last full moon before autumn arrives. It was the perfect time for a wolf to unleash their greatest power.

Simon was clad in a deep red robe adorned with intricately arranged gems. He was so ready for that golden crown, all he had to do was wait for the night to come. In the moonlight, he would ascend as the new king.

At least, that's what he believed.

The square was surrounded by several circles of soldiers armed with custom-made firearms, a mixture of bear and wolf army members.

A few werewolves tried to resist this absurd scene, proclaiming that they wouldn't tolerate bears defiling their homeland. Their protests were silenced by a few bullets. The bodies were removed, and absolute silence fell over the square.

Karina gazed into the distance, feeling increasingly uneasy at the silence of the forest. Sofia's escape caused panic throughout the witch coven. They had searched for traces of magical use in areas where Sofia might have been. Nothing had been found.

There were only two possibilities: Sofia hadn't used magic, or her power had grown so immense that no one could detect her traces. Karina dismissed the second option. She firmly believed that Sofia couldn't have possessed such astonishing abilities.

Nevertheless, she instructed Simon and his Beta to inform her immediately if anything unusual happened.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky grew darker by the second. "Mother, we should start. Wyatt and the others seem to be nothing but cowards," Simon said smugly.

Karina raised an eyebrow, "Patience, son. We must wait until the moon is fully visible."

Simon, who was denied his request, appeared somewhat dissatisfied. A few minutes later, his hands clenched on the throne, he suddenly stood up. "This is my coronation. I am the one who should make the decision. "

Simon shouted loudly to all his attendants, "Begin the ceremony, now!"

Karina didn't interfere with Simon's fervor, she just watched the surroundings with a growing sense of unease.

Some of the bear and wolf alphas were whispering to each other. It was clear that each was harboring deep-seated thoughts about the day's events.

A common understanding emerged: if the Wolf Empire was to be ruled by Simon, they might have more to gain by deceiving this incompetent new king.

Servants brought food and drink for the guests. Simon raised his goblet and made his speech, "Esteemed warriors and leaders, I have invited you here because you deserve to be my honored guests. As you all know, our realm has recently undergone some significant changes. King Alexander is no longer able to fulfill his responsibilities due to personal health reasons.

And I, at his repeated invitation, have decided to accept this honor."

Simon didn't get the applause he expected, and the atmosphere remained tense. There was restlessness in the crowd. Some Alphas slowly raised their goblets.

The pitch-black night sky echoed with the low rumble of thunder. Ominous signs.

Pretending not to notice, Simon cleared his throat, "I don't intend to make a long speech about my achievements. My father has given me the crown and scepter. Now, in the presence of all of you, I hope to shoulder the responsibilities of our species."

The murmur of the crowd grew louder and Simon clenched his fists. His patience with this group had reached its limit. Once his coronation ceremony was over, he vowed to throw all these ungrateful folks into prison!

Simon took a deep breath and was about to continue his speech when he realized that the thunder had returned. Annoyed, he looked out into the distance, but there were no dark clouds beside the moon. Instead, it was a well-disciplined army approaching.

Fuck, that wasn't thunder. It's the sound of an army breaking through the city gates!

______

An hour ago, most of the guards protecting the borders of King City had been reassigned to safeguard Simon's coronation. Taking advantage of this vulnerability, Wyatt and Harper led their assembled army to charge toward the city.

The rest of Simon's allied bear army, guarding the city's borders, were no match for the well-prepared wolf forces. Wolves were agile and swift, while bears were larger, bulkier, and slower.

Wyatt and Harper strategically led their wolf troops from different angles, exploiting the bears' clumsiness. In an instant, two wolves could take down a single bear from behind. Soon, the bear forces were retreating, leaving behind a trail of bodies.

"Follow me, warriors!" Wyatt's commanding voice echoed as his pack breached the last line of defence and entered the city. Racing through the streets toward the central square, they could see that Simon had yet to wear his shimmering golden crown.

"Protect me! Protect me!" Simon yelled frantically, summoning his guards to shield him. However, with the guards diverted, angry citizens surged into the ceremony, smashing the opulent decorations. Chaos ensued in the square.

"You rogues! How dare you!" How dare you!" Simon cowered behind his guards and shouted at Wyatt's army, his voice a mixture of anger and fear.

Ignoring Simon's outburst, Wyatt's gaze remained ice-cold as he ripped off another traitor's head and tossed it aside.

Amidst the cacophony of flesh-on-flesh, roars, and the clashing of swords, Wyatt and Harper drew closer to Simon. Simon's guards were no match for Wyatt's well-trained warriors.

However, Wyatt wasn't misled by the superficial advantage. He and Harper shared thoughts through their mindlink, "Harper, do you see those women beside Karina?"

"Yes."

"Look at their faces, honey. They're too calm, like they knew this was going to happen," Wyatt pointed out.

Harper slightly diverted her attention from the surrounding enemies to observe the women from afar. "They don't seem to be on a battlefield, but in a theatre. It's as if they're expecting us to fight each other."

"They are witches, Harper. Only witches could hope for infighting among shapeshifters here," Wyatt's tone held certainty. "I'm more concerned that their true objective is to identify and target you."

Harper's eyes narrowed as she scrutinized the group of women. "Wait, Wyatt," she felt waves of magic emanating from them, "someone among them is chanting. She was casting a spell!"

"Warriors! Be cautious!" Wyatt's voice thundered, warning his soldiers. His train of thought was interrupted by a sharp pain. "Ah," he growled, "Warriors, the witches are casting spells. We need to neutralize them quickly."

While many of the warriors had heard legends about witches and had received repeated warnings from Wyatt during their training, the witches still filled them with dread. With every step forward, the pain inflicted by the incantation seemed to intensify. Some warriors fell, writhing in agony on the ground.

The cries of pain from the warriors echoed around them. Harper slowed her pace, concerned for Wyatt. "Wyatt, are you okay?"

Panting heavily, Wyatt managed to reply, "I'm okay, Harper."

"Their spell seems to affect only pure-blood werewolves. I'm not affected, but I've pinpointed the witch casting it. I can take her down," Harper said, shaking her fur.

"No, Harper, that's what they want. To single you out from us. It's too dangerous for you to go alone. I can hold out. Let's deal with this together," Wyatt assured her, gasping.

"But we can't let the warriors suffer like this," Harper addressed Wyatt, "I'll create some chaos among the witches. When the spell stops, you lead the warriors in and stop them from casting again."

"It is too risky for you to go alone. I can handle it. Let's finish this swiftly together," Wyatt insisted, his voice determined.

Harper wasted no more time. She decided to trust Wyatt.

In tandem, they surged toward Simon and the group of witches.

The wind whistled in Harper's ears, mingled with a cacophony of roars and groans. She struggled to make out the faint, low chanting. Her gaze was fixed on the woman in the midst of the witches, her lips moving incessantly.

"Make her stop," were the words that occupied Harper's mind.

No one blocked her path until she was close enough. With Wyatt clearing a path for her, she charged directly at the woman, fangs bared. A wave of fear ran through the witches as they witnessed her approach.

Suddenly, Karina let out a chilling laugh and ordered her guards, "Seize the red wolf!" In an instant, all the barrels of the dark weapons were turned on her.