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The stronghold felt like a tomb after Marcus’s words.
A full pack, gone. Burned down to ash before dawn. The Hollow Court wasn’t waiting at the gates anymore — they were marching.
Aria sat in silence as Kael barked orders, his voice a whip cracking against stone. Messengers sprinted down corridors, summoning wolves from outposts and allies from bordering packs. The stronghold’s heartbeat, once steady, now raced with panic.
She tried to breathe past the guilt swelling in her chest. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the sigil on the gates — her fire mirrored in the enemy’s threat. The Court wasn’t just taunting Kael. They were calling to her.
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By midday, the stronghold’s great hall was crammed with wolves. The air bristled with fur and tension, shoulders bumping as ranks p
