Dylan's POV
The air was heavy with the scent of ash and despair as I walked through the remnants of the Pack's main village. The scars of war were everywhere; charred wood, shattered windows, and the low murmurs of people trying to rebuild their lives.
My people.
They looked at me with a mixture of hope and hesitation, as if they weren't sure whether to trust the Alpha fate had thrust upon them.
I wasn't sure if I trusted myself.
The woods had been unforgiving. My muscles still ached from days of constant movement, my body a road map of cuts and bruises earned from navigating dense undergrowth and rocky terrain.
Pausing by a tree, I leaned against its rough bark and allowed myself a brief reprieve. The wind whispered through the branches above, carrying the scent of ear
