Max's POV
The academy wolves swarmed the clearing like worker ants, methodically cleaning up the carnage left behind. Alpha Mateo had vanished without so much as a goodbye, clearly wanting no part in disrupting the festivities. Healer Chandler, however, seemed to relish his moment of authority, barking commands at his subordinates with theatrical importance. His assistants moved like ghosts, silently lifting Hardy's unconscious form and carrying him away into the darkness.
The party crawled back to life, though the energy had shifted completely. Where arrogance once filled the air, now uncertainty lingered. Several Alphas had retreated into themselves, their earlier bravado crushed under the weight of what they'd witnessed. Matthew had disappeared entirely, his humiliation too raw to bear in public.
I settled back into my chair, wine glass balanced in my hand, but my focus never wavered from her.
