The second howl rolled across the forest like thunder.
Lena was already on her feet before the sound faded.
Outside the healer’s lodge, the Ravenridge grounds had erupted into motion again. Torches flared to life, casting long, trembling shadows across the clearing. Warriors rushed past, some half-shifted, claws extending as instincts took control.
This time the tension felt different.
The earlier battle had been a test.
This felt like a warning.
Or worse.
A message.
Lena stepped outside, her cloak wrapped tightly around her shoulders. The cold night air bit into her skin, but it wasn’t the temperature that made her shiver.
It was the silence between the howls.
Somewhere deep in the forest, something watched them.
She could feel it.
Across the clearing, Kael emerged from the Al
