Chapter Fourteen
The summons went out before sunrise.
No banners. No challenge calls. No declarations of dominance. Just a simple message carried by runners and riders alike: All packs. Neutral lands included. Attend. The words were spare, unmistakable, and impossible to ignore.
Lyra stood alone on the high terrace as the valley woke below her. Mist clung to the ground in pale ribbons, curling around the old roads that converged on the stronghold like veins. She felt the bond stretch outward as the message traveled, not pulling at her, not demanding—but listening.
Cain joined her first, boots quiet on stone. He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. His presence was a steady weight at her side, a promise of violence held in check.
Elias arrived moments later, cloak clasped, expression unrea
