Dawn came with a brittle chill, the kind of cold that pricked at the skin even beneath layers of fur and cloth. Mila stood at the edge of Shadowcrest’s outer walls, looking out toward the northern mountains. The fog had lifted, but the weight of what had come and what was coming still pressed on her chest.
Alexander joined her quietly, shifting to stand beside her without touching. That was enough. Just his presence steadied her, a tether against the storm inside and outside.
“They’re testing us,” he said softly. “All of them. Every pack that knows what you are.”
Mila nodded. “I know. And they’ll escalate. Someone’s going to try to make an example of me.”
Alexander’s gaze sharpened. “Let them try. We’ve already survived worse. And you’re not the same girl who trembled under chains.”
S
