The first crack came at the witching hour, when the moon hung heavy and bloated in a starless sky.A low, sickening hum rolled through the valley felt in the bones more than heard, like the earth itself was groaning in pain. The coven’s wards, once a steady violet glow threading through the vines, flickered erratically, dimming to sickly pulses before flaring again.Elara woke with a gasp, heart slamming against her ribs. The pup kicked hard urgent, almost painful as if warning her.Beside her, Kai was already moving shifting mid leap through the open window, a massive black wolf vanishing into the night with a roar that shook the cabin walls and sent birds exploding from the trees.She threw on a robe, hands shaking as she grabbed her healer’s satchel, and ran barefoot toward the lodge. The c
