The village woke to a tense dawn, the air heavy with the scent of pine and the lingering tang of blood from the night before. Maya stood at the edge of the square, her eyes scanning the faces of the scentless as they moved through their morning tasks—mending wounds, sharpening blades, whispering in small groups. The attack had left its mark, not just in the torn earth or the injured scouts, but in the quiet unease that hung over the village like a storm cloud.
Sophie was under watch in a small cabin near the healers’ lodge, guarded by Naari and another wolf named Kael. Maya hadn’t seen her since the ridge, but the weight of Sophie’s betrayal sat heavy in her chest. She wanted to believe her friend could be saved, but doubt gnawed at her. Had Sophie been lying from the start? Or had the Co
