Blackfang didn’t celebrate victory.
The pack moved as if under a lingering shadow, warriors restless, elders whispering behind closed doors. Fire burned longer than necessary . Patrols doubled. The wind itself seemed to carry accusation.
Kael felt it the moment he returned.
Something was wrong.
Not with the territory.
With him.
He stood on the balcony outside the Alpha quarters, staring at the familiar forest that no longer felt obedient beneath his authority. The bond space inside his chest once empty, silent, manageable, now throbbed like an open wound.
She lives.
The realization refused to leave him.
Worse, she was not alone.
“Alpha.”
Kael turned sharply. Beta Torin stood several paces back, posture rigid, eyes uneasy.
“Report,” Kael said.
“Scouts confirm it,” Torin replied
