The Nightfang territory had grown quiet in a way that was almost suffocating. The snow had melted unevenly across the forest floor, leaving patches of ice and mud that slowed even the most agile of wolves. From the Alpha’s den, I could feel the weight of unrest pressing against the borders of my awareness, a pulse of tension that had been building for weeks. Though I was not there physically, the connection through the bond allowed me to sense the subtle cracks forming within Kael’s pack.
Kael sat atop the central ridge of Nightfang, the cold wind whipping against his dark cloak. His eyes, sharp and calculating in ordinary circumstances, now bore a storm of frustration and unease. The scouts he had sent in recent weeks returned with reports of unusual movements, not just from Red Hollow,
