The sun had long vanished behind the jagged mountains of Montenegro, leaving the pack’s estate wrapped in a heavy, silken darkness. Inside the main hall, candles flickered weakly, their light reflecting off the polished floors and casting elongated shadows that danced like silent watchers. Raya sat alone for a long moment, the cool air brushing her bare arms as she traced her fingers along the edge of the balcony, feeling the night wrap around her like a cloak, gentle but infinite.
Derek and Jax were not far—Derek in the library reviewing intelligence reports, Jax in the training hall ensuring the younger wolves remained disciplined—but their presences lingered close, even in absence. Raya’s senses pulled toward them instinctively, the bond alive in ways words could not capture. She close
