The dawn broke in red.
It bled across the sky like an open wound, staining the clouds in shades of warning. The wind had shifted—wild and feral, whispering in tongues older than wolves, older than blood.
Selina stood in the courtyard of the fortress, eyes narrowed as she watched the sun claw its way over the horizon. Every instinct screamed at her that something had changed. The birds had stopped singing. The forest beyond the walls had gone still.
Behind her, the war room buzzed with movement—messengers arriving from allied packs, scouts returning with unsettling reports, warriors sharpening their blades. The fortress had awakened, just as the gods had.
Zane appeared beside her, his hand brushing hers. He hadn’t spoken much since they’d learned the truth—that their bond had triggered
