The ancient stone staircase wound upward through the dark heart of the mountain like a twisted spine. Step after heavy step, the wet chill of the abyss gave way to the sharp, familiar scent of woodsmoke, wet earth, and fresh blood.
Selene’s feet hit the flat, moss-covered ground at the mouth of a hidden cavern overlook. Sunlight, harsh and low in the evening sky, flooded her vision, forcing her to squint.
Below them lay the Silver Fang territory.
Selene’s breath caught in her throat. The bustling packlands she had grown up in were unrecognizable. Thick black smoke spiraled upward from the outer wooden barracks into the amber sky. The iron gates of the main fortress were thrown wide open, and an eerie, unnatural silence hung over the courtyard.
Instead of armed pack warriors guarding th
