Chase’s POV
The pack gathering was held under the next full moon—same clearing where I’d first taught the triplets to breathe with their wolves, now transformed. Torches ringed the wide circle of trampled grass. Long tables groaned under roasted venison, fresh bread, and barrels of dark ale. Pack members of every age sprawled on blankets, pups tumbling in wolf form, adults shifting between human and half-form with easy laughter. The air smelled of smoke, pine, and anticipation.
Tonight wasn’t just a feast. It was a declaration.
I stood at the head of the circle on a low rise of earth, Amelia beside me. No crutches tonight—the brace was still there under my dark jeans, but I’d forced the knee straight for this moment. The triplets waited a few paces behind us—Jaden bouncing on his toes,
