Chapter 13: The Ironfang Road
The trees thinned as they left the last stretch of warded ground. The Vale’s mist retreated reluctantly, curling at their backs like a living thing that didn’t want them to go. The moment Kairo’s boots hit open earth, the air changed—heavier, dryer, carrying a tang of iron that set his teeth on edge.
They were officially in the No-Wolf’s Land, a stretch of wilderness that had once belonged to the Mooncrest Pack before decades of blood-feuds and territory shifts. Now it lay between three rival packs, claimed by no one but haunted by all. It was the fastest route to the Ironfang Citadel, and also the most dangerous.
Kaelen led, every movement measured. His hand never strayed far from his sword hilt, his ears twitching at the slightest rustle. Lysandra walked
