POV: Dante
Returning to Talon Pack territory felt like stepping into a dream I hadn’t allowed myself to have for years. The familiar scent of pine and damp earth, the towering trees stretching skyward, the distant murmur of the pack—it was all the same. And yet, everything felt different. The warmth of belonging I once associated with this place had been replaced with the chill of mistrust. It followed me like a shadow, carried in the wary glances of the wolves I passed, their eyes filled with suspicion and guarded curiosity.
I didn’t blame them. To them, I was the wolf who had abandoned his family, who had walked away and stayed gone. Now, my return wasn’t just unexpected—it was unwelcome. The weight of their judgment settled heavily on me, but I pushed it aside. I hadn’t come back for
