I don’t think any of us were truly ready. No matter how many times we prepared for this moment, how many times we told ourselves we were ready to stand, it never felt like enough. The moment the first howl cut through the night, I knew we had already lost any advantage we might’ve had.
The shadows in the trees shifted, moving with unnatural precision. They weren’t wolves anymore. Not the kind that I had come to know and trust. These were soldiers—enforcers—trained in the art of death. No hesitation. No mercy. Just the cold, methodical execution of a mission.
And their mission was clear.
The attack came in an instant. One minute, everything was calm, the firelight casting shadows over the camp, the air thick with anticipation. Next, it was chaos. A blur of motion. A scream in the distanc
