The storm was rising.
Far beyond the dark forests of Lucas’s territory, nestled deep within the frostbitten valleys of the north, the traitor knelt before his new master, Alpha Lucas.
“You’re certain of what you saw?” Lucas asked, his voice low, sharp with suspicion and hunger.
The traitor’s head dipped lower. His cloak was torn, covered in dried blood and ash, evidence of how far he had come to deliver the news. “I swear it, Alpha. He’s changed. He’s stronger now—stronger than any lycan I’ve ever seen. It’s as though something ancient has awakened in him. His power…” the traitor hesitated, swallowing hard, “it terrifies even the elders.”
Lucas paced, every step echoing like thunder against the stone chamber. “And the girl?” he asked, voice tightening. “The human?”
“She’s still there,
