The next morning, the atmosphere was thick with tension, yet I felt an unexplainable calmness as I prepared for the day. Stefano had been restless the entire night, pacing in our quarters and muttering about how the pack needed to tighten its defenses. Even as the early sunlight streamed through the tall windows, his mind was far from at ease.
I was still processing everything that had happened the day before when a commotion erupted near the gates. The noise of excited chatter, interspersed with gasps of shock and murmurs of disbelief, carried through the packhouse. I quickly pulled on a jacket and stepped out, curiosity piqued. Stefano, already on high alert, was at the door in an instant, his sharp eyes scanning the ground.
“What’s going on?” I asked as I joined him.
“I don’t know ye
