Spring sunlight filtered through the pines, gilding the Bloodstone clearing in warm gold. The packhouse buzzed with quiet, contented life — pups chasing each other through the courtyard, laughter echoing from the kitchens, and the distant hum of training in the yard. For the first time in months, the world felt steady.
Crystal stood on the balcony overlooking it all, one hand resting absently against her stomach. The faintest warmth pulsed there — subtle, fragile, and entirely miraculous. Only Dustin, Lizzy, and Bane knew about the pregnancy so far. The healer had urged her to rest, but Crystal could never sit still for long.
The scent of pine and early blooms drifted on the breeze, and for a moment, she let herself believe that peace might last.
Bree’s presence was calm but alert benea
