The clearing felt colder after Frederick vanished — as if the shadows he left behind still clung to the air. The forest rustled with a low, unsettling whisper, and every wolf in the pack house grounds bristled with unease.
Jonah stood frozen, staring at the spot where his father had been swallowed by darkness. His chest rose and fell in sharp, uneven breaths. His hands shook. His eyes glowed faintly — not with power, but with grief.
My mother knelt beside him, her silver hair falling around her face. “Jonah… look at me.”
He didn’t.
He couldn’t.
Jayden stepped closer, his wolf form shifting back as he placed a steadying hand on Jonah’s shoulder. “We’ll get him back.”
Hayden nodded, his voice low. “We’re not losing him.”
Kayden added, “Not again.”
Jonah swallowed hard, his voice crac
