The forest stretched endlessly around me, a labyrinth of frost coated pines and icy underbrush. The rogue camp had grown quietly, organically, into something far more than a temporary refuge. Wolves that once scavenged independently now moved as one, organized under my guidance, their trust hard-earned through patience, discipline, and small victories. Every routine we established, every patrol I orchestrated, every strategy drilled into their minds made them stronger and made me stronger.
I walked along the outer perimeter, snow crunching beneath my boots, hands tucked into the warmth of my cloak. My wolf coiled beneath my skin, muscles flexing at the faintest disturbance in the forest. The bond I shared with Kael pulsed faintly, a distant reminder of unfinished threads that connected us
