THE NIGHT OF THE BLOOD VEIL
The storm gathered before sunset—thick clouds rolling in from the east like a warning only the brave or foolish would ignore. Nara stood outside the Alpha’s cabin, her fingers trembling as she pulled her cloak closer around her shoulders. The air was too still. Too heavy. The kind of silence that did not belong in a territory filled with wolves.
Kael had summoned the Council tonight, and Nara knew this meeting would either unite the pack… or destroy it from within.
Behind her, footsteps approached.
“You’re shaking,” Kael murmured.
She didn’t turn. She didn’t need to. His presence always felt like gravity—quiet, controlled, but impossible to escape. His aura rolled around her like a dark shield.
“I’m not afraid,” Nara answered softly.
“No,” Kael said, step
