The village of Moonrise hummed with the activity of a bustling spring market. Vibrant stalls were brimming with early berries, dried meats, and the earthy scent of freshly cut timber. The air was alive with voices – men negotiating prices, children laughing and running, puppies yapping in excitement, and the distant ringing of the blacksmith’s hammer on steel. Despite the cheerful atmosphere, a quiet tension lingered in the air, the result of recent events that had rocked the pack to its core: Xander’s public humiliation in the arena, Aria’s defiance in the hearing chambers, and the mysterious reappearance of a music box that still held far more significance than anyone truly understood.
Aria walked through the market, her strides calm yet purposeful. Her belly, now more noticeably round
