Ariana’s POV
The trouble began just before dusk.
I knew it before the alarm sounded, before the hurried footsteps and raised voices echoed across the pack grounds. My wolf stirred sharply inside me, not in fear, but in alert recognition, the way she always did when something went wrong faster than it should have.
I was helping Clara prepare dinner when the first shout cut through the air outside.
“Medic! Someone get the medic—now!”
Clara’s knife stilled against the cutting board. We exchanged a glance, both of us already moving before words were necessary. I wiped my hands quickly and followed her outside, the cool evening air carrying tension like a physical weight.
A small crowd had gathered near the training grounds, voices overlapping in confusion. Warriors pushed through, some s
