Chapter 12: THE QUIET BEFORE
Night settled gently over Chicago, softer than it had in many weeks. The city lights shimmered across Lake Michigan like scattered stars, and for the first time since the shadows began rising, the wind carried no scent of war. It was calm, too calm. The kind of silence that came not from peace, but from something waiting.
Deep beneath the old cathedral, inside the hidden sanctuary of stone and candlelight, Kevin stood alone.
The faint glow of the torches danced across the carved walls, throwing shifting shadows around him. His golden eyes watched the quiet corridor ahead, but his mind was far away. The wolf inside him was restless, pacing, sensing something just beyond reach.
Not danger.
Not yet.
But coming.
Kevin inhaled slowly, the cool air filling hi
