Night settled over Shadowpeak like a heavy cloak, the moon barely visible behind thick clouds. Lyra stood on the balcony outside her room, Mira leaning against the railing beside her. The air felt tense, waiting.
The scouts had been gone for hours.
Lyra’s wolf paced beneath her skin, uneasy. “They should’ve been back by now.”
Mira exhaled. “Kayden sent the best. They’ll be okay.”
Lyra nodded, but her wolf didn’t calm. Something felt wrong — not in the forest, but in the air itself. A subtle vibration, like distant thunder.
Before she could speak, a howl cut through the night.
Short. Sharp. Urgent.
Mira straightened. “That’s the signal.”
Lyra didn’t wait — she ran.
Down the stairs, across the clearing, toward the great hall where wolves were already gathering. Kayden stood at the e
