ALEXIS
I felt him before I saw him—a pressure in the air like the moment before lightning strikes. The forest went silent. Even the night creatures that had been singing moments ago fell quiet, sensing a predator ancient beyond understanding.
Eron stirred against my chest, his tiny body suddenly alert. The Crown of First Light pulsed above us, crystal branches extending as if reaching toward something—or someone—in the darkness beyond the sacred grove.
"He's back," Grandmother Chen whispered, jade-green magic flaring briefly around her weathered hands.
I moved toward the tree line, heart hammering against my ribs. The naming ceremony had been completed barely thirty minutes ago. Kai couldn't have possibly reached the Wolf King so quickly, let alone convinced him to return. Something h
