What We Leave Behind
(Caleb’s POV)
The sun rose through the trees in pale slants of gold, dusting the training field with warmth that belied the bite in the air. It was a rare morning—quiet, soft, the kind that didn’t demand his attention as Alpha’s mate, reformer, or council speaker.
But Caleb had learned something about rare mornings.
You don’t waste them.
He stood at the edge of the practice glade, arms crossed over his chest, watching six wolves—barely old enough to shift—circle one another in clumsy patterns. Their paws kicked up loose dirt. One tripped on a root. Another snarled too loudly, then immediately apologized.
It was chaos.
It was… perfect.
“You’re not going to step in?” came Rowan’s amused voice from behind.
Caleb smirked without turning. “Not yet. I like to see ho
