POV: Riley
War doesn’t announce itself with thunder.
It arrives with silence.
Too quiet.
Too still.
The southern border lies beneath us like a sleeping beast as we stand atop the cliff overlook. Torches burn far below along the ward line, their light trembling in the night wind. Beyond the barrier, the forest moves wrong—branches bending without wind, shadows crawling where no bodies should be.
“They’re already probing the wards,” Mason mutters behind me.
My wolf growls under my skin.
Alex stands at my side, power rolling off her in controlled waves. The ritual changed her. I feel it in our bond—stronger, sharper, almost… ancient.
“They’re not just probing,” she says softly. “They’re counting.”
A horn sounds from the valley.
Low.
Hollow.
Predatory.
The wards flare blinding si
