The journey back from the Frostfang Peaks was longer than Raynor had anticipated. The weight of everything that had transpired—the trials, the battles, the choice Erin had made—hung heavily in the air between them as they traveled. Erin walked ahead, her posture straighter now, the burden of leadership already settling upon her.
But Raynor could see the cracks, the moments of hesitation in her gaze, the fleeting doubt that still lingered despite her outward strength. She had awakened the Wolf God's power, claimed her place as the Moon's Orphan, and had taken the first steps toward uniting the clans. But there was something deeper inside her that had been left untouched—something raw, something that needed healing.
Raynor's eyes never left her as they moved through the thick forests, the
