The wind sliced through the treetops, carrying the bitter scent of ice and smoke. I stood on the northern ridge, overlooking the rogue camp from a distance. Snow fell steadily, covering the ground in a thick blanket that muffled almost every sound, yet somehow made the faint movements in the forest easier to detect.
Tarek was beside me, his dark eyes scanning the treeline, alert but calm. Mira crouched slightly, her senses stretched like a taut wire, ears twitching at the slightest rustle. I could feel the tension coiling in the wolves around us. Their bodies pressed close, muscles ready to spring at the first sign of danger. My own wolf beneath my skin thrummed with anticipation, mirroring the restlessness that had been growing inside me all week.
“North ridge patrols report movement ag
