The adrenaline of the challenge still coursed through my veins, mingling with a strange mix of relief and exhaustion. I stood in the center of the clearing, the echoes of the pack's murmurs fading as they dispersed into the shadows of the trees. The moon, now high in the sky, cast a silvery glow over the training grounds, illuminating the streaks of dirt and sweat that marked my skin.
Ethan’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. “You handled that well, Maeve,” he said, his tone carefully measured. His eyes, however, held a note of concern that was hard to miss.
I nodded, taking a deep breath to steady myself. The weight of the victory was palpable, but so was the realization of what this moment signified. Marcus’s challenge wasn’t just an isolated act of defiance—it was a symptom of the und
