The Golden Shadow
The tower had stood for a thousand years, and so had Kodian’s obsession. He leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window, eyes locked on the endless sweep of forest. Night rolled across the horizon like smoke, and somewhere inside it a wolf was moving. The wolf.
He had been hunting her for centuries—outliving kings, empires, and entire bloodlines in his search. Spies planted in every pack. Fortunes spent. Wars started and ended in the shadows. Still she had slipped through his fingers, a rumor wrapped in fur. Every year she stayed hidden was another thread snapping loose in his plan.
A knock broke the silence. Kodian’s voice cut through the room without him turning. “What?”
The door opened a crack. Trayton stepped in, small and careful, like always. Kodian had stolen hi
