Tristan
The fallout from the failed hunt was immediate. By the time I reached the manor’s inner courtyard, the air was thick with the scent of disappointment. My father was waiting for me at the top of the stone steps, his arms crossed over his chest, his shadow stretching long and jagged in the torchlight.
"A botched strike?" Deza’s voice was a low rumble of thunder. "You are the finest hunter this pack has produced in a generation, Tristan. You don't 'miss' a stag at point-blank range."
"The ground was soft, Father," I said, my voice as level as I could manage while Vane was still snarling at the back of my throat. "The animal moved. It happens."
"It happens to pups. It does not happen to Alphas." He stepped down, closing the distance until his aura was pressing against mine like a p
