The eastern gates of Moonshadow Academy had never opened at night—at least, not in living memory. But tonight, beneath the full silver moon, they stood wide.
Torches lined the stone pathway, their flames snapping and bending in the restless wind, casting long, trembling shadows across the courtyard. Students filled the walls and balconies, their whispers weaving together into a low, uneasy hum as a formation of wolves emerged from the darkness beyond the gates.
Charlotte stood at the center of it all.
Ethan was at her right, solid and watchful. Lucas stood to her left, sharp-eyed and still. Arcturus lingered just behind, his presence steady but alert. Within Charlotte, the spirit-wolf stirred again—but not in alarm.
In awareness.
The approaching pack moved with unsettling precision. T
