Chapter 44: Aftermath (Caspian's POV)
I stood alone in the vast clearing of my territory, the bitter wind cutting through my leather jacket. The weight of my silver Alpha pendant felt unusually heavy against my chest today. This emblem had marked me as ruler of territories stretching hundreds of miles for over a decade, commanding absolute deference from every pack leader and enforcer in my domain.
Yet today, I felt something unfamiliar. Defeat.
A soft white flake landed on my sleeve, then another. Snow began to fall from the gray sky, accumulating silently on my shoulders as I stood motionless, lost in thought. I barely registered the cold.
Cedric approached cautiously, his footsteps crunching in the thin layer of frost that already covered the ground.
"Alpha, it's snowing—shall
