The forest still smelled of blood when Aria and Killian returned to the stronghold. The moon had begun its slow descent, shadows lengthening across the earth, but no one in the pack dared sleep. Word had already spread — about the ambush, the masked enemies, and the betrayal that cut deeper than any blade.
Aria strode into the war room, her jaw set. The long oak table was already crowded — Alphas, Betas, warriors, all with grim faces and tired eyes. The air buzzed with unease.
Killian followed close behind, placing the bloodied bone mask they’d retrieved onto the table. Its hollow eyes seemed to stare at every wolf in the room.
A ripple of murmurs followed.
“Enough,” Aria said sharply. Silence fell. She stood at the head of the table, her amber eyes blazing. “We were ambushed. They wer
