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The mist clung low to the water, veiling the river’s mouth in pale sheets. Beyond it, the Hollow waited. Wolves lined the bank, steel flashing in their hands, breath steaming in the dawn chill. The only sound was the rush of the current and the low growl of a thousand throats.
Kael stood at the front, his wolf pressing against his skin, silver eyes fixed on the wall of mist. The bond thrummed behind him, Aria’s heart pounding too fast, too loud. He didn’t turn — couldn’t — because if he saw her face, if he saw her fear, he might falter.
And an Alpha never faltered. Not here. Not now.
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The mist shifted. Shadows moved within it — tall, faceless figures, their shapes unnatural, bending like broken glass. At their backs slithered smaller creatures, half-wolf, half-nightmare, their
