KARIN
The ancient oak tree at the center of the Nightfall Pack grounds had stood for more than three hundred years. Its thick trunk was wide and uneven, carved by lightning, claws, and long-forgotten battles.
I pressed my palm against the rough bark. It scratched my skin, solid and real. Beneath it, I felt the slow, steady movement of life. This tree had watched leaders rise, rule, and fall. It had seen loyalty turn into betrayal. It had seen hope fail and return again.
Now it was about to witness something that had never happened before. A Luna-born woman calling on old magic, not to divide packs, but to pull them back together.
“Are you sure about this?” Rowan asked.
His voice was tight, held back by control. He stood a short distance away. Far enough to give me space. Close enoug
