Damon's POV
The scent of iron and smoke lingered in the air even after the fires had died down. Though the war had ended, I couldn't help feeling that true peace still seemed so far away. It was kind of like how a predator senses when trouble is near...when the forest suddenly feels quiet, or when the wind seems to murmur secrets instead of bringing a soft, calming breeze.
The Winchester pack was steadily rebuilding, brick by brick and bone by bone. The warriors trained diligently once more, and the walls were carefully reinforced. Yet, beneath it all, there was a strange unrest. I could sense it in my wolves' tension, in how their eyes kept flickering toward the forest line, as if they were somehow expecting shadows to come to life.
I stood on the balcony of the pack house, the night b
