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The stronghold gates opened at dawn.
A thousand paws struck the earth, heavy and rhythmic, echoing like a heartbeat through the forest. Wolves, armored and armed, filled the roads in disciplined columns, their silver and black banners snapping in the wind. Steel caught the rising sun, painting the march in firelight.
Kael rode at the head, his form tall and unyielding, silver eyes burning with a promise of war. The Alpha of Alphas was no longer just a ruler. He was a weapon.
And every wolf that followed him was ready to be wielded.
---
Kael did not look back as they marched, but the bond tugged at him — Aria’s presence, steady but fraying at the edges.
His wolf prowled beneath his skin, restless. It remembered the first strike, the scent of shadow burning, the screams of the fal
