Serena’s POV
The days after Ethan’s warning passed in a blur of tension and preparation. The pack was on high alert, warriors patrolling the borders day and night. Yet, despite the activity, a sense of unease lingered. Something wasn’t right—I could feel it in my bones.
I found solace in the quiet moments, retreating to the forest when the walls of the packhouse became too suffocating. It was during one of these escapes that Elder Aldric found me.
“You seem troubled,” he said, his presence as calm and steady as the ancient trees surrounding us.
“I’m always troubled,” I replied, leaning against a moss-covered rock. “It’s the only constant in my life.”
Aldric chuckled softly, settling onto a nearby log. “Trouble often leads us to truth, Serena. And truth, no matter how painful, is a nec
