POV: Dante
The forest stretched around me, its familiar scent of pine and damp earth tugging at memories I’d buried long ago. Talon Pack’s territory had changed little in my absence, but the wolves who called it home were different. Or perhaps I was the one who had changed.
The patrol group ahead of me moved cautiously, their ears twitching at every rustle in the underbrush. Two young wolves—Lyle and Merris—led the way, their movements efficient but lacking the confidence of experience. Behind them, an older wolf named Geth lagged slightly, his watchful eyes scanning the trees. He didn’t trust me; I could feel it in every stiff glance he threw my way.
And who could blame him? Trust wasn’t given freely in a pack like this. It was earned.
A faint snap of a branch to the east brought all
