The air around the collapsed cave was thick with dust and dread. The wind had quieted, as if the forest itself was holding its breath. “Both of you, what are you doing here?” Alpha Marvin’s voice cut through the silence like a sharp blade, commanding, but laced with concern. He wasn’t alone. Beside him stood his twin brothers,Jade and Joel. The mirror images of strength and authority. Behind them, ten werewolves from the Southern Pack emerged, shifting from their wolf forms with practiced ease. They bore the marks of experience: long, sharp fangs still wet with adrenaline, thick coats of red, white, and brown that glistened in the late sunlight, and eyes that had seen too many battles. Elders. Enforcers. Guardians of old law. For a moment, I felt like a child again... caught where I sh

