The stone corridors of the pack house whispered with drafts that carried secrets. Ariana walked them slowly, her fingertips brushing the walls as though grounding herself after what had happened at the training grounds earlier. The memory of the spar with Kael was fresh—her own body betraying her, moving with strength she didn’t recognize, almost too fluid, too sharp for someone barely trained. His stunned expression haunted her even more than her unexpected power.
Now, as the moon climbed higher, Ariana wandered farther from the familiar hallways leading to her quarters. Something pulled her along, a weight in her chest she couldn’t explain.
It was quiet—until she heard it.
Low voices, muffled but urgent, spilled from behind a heavy oak door etched with the crest of the pack. Ariana pa
