The clearing pulsed with anticipation, the scent of pine sharp in the night air. Moonlight glinted off a thousand teeth bared in frozen growls, the hushed murmurs rippling through the gathered wolves like wind through leaves. The ceremonial ring of white flowers stood stark against the dark earth, casting long shadows that stretched toward the full moon hanging heavy in the sky.
Thane and Serene stepped into the clearing, and the hush deepened into an oppressive silence. Every eye in the pack, from the grizzled elders to the sleek pups huddled between their mothers, burned into them. Slate walked at his side, a silent bodyguard in the face of the rising tension.
Serene felt the stares like a tangible weight pinning her down. Whispers snaked through the pack, sharp and venomous. "Outsider
