The first drop of crimson melted into the snow like ink into parchment.
Selene knelt, gloved fingers brushing the slush-stained soil, her eyes narrowing as the scent of iron hit her senses. She didn’t need to look up to confirm what her instincts already told her—this wasn’t just a wounded animal or a careless hunter. This was a message.
“Three bodies,” Kael reported grimly, returning from a sweep of the eastern ridge. “Two scouts and one of Darius’s warriors. All killed quickly. No footprints except ours. Whoever did this, they know how to cover their trail.”
Selene rose slowly, her pulse steady but her thoughts racing. They had only left Blackwater Hollow two days ago, traveling north through the icy passes to reach the Vale of Echoes—neutral land where rogue packs and hidden allies h
