When Raymond stepped away briefly to speak with an elder, Giana moved closer to me, her voice honeyed but threatening."Don't think his grief will make him vulnerable to your influence," she warned, her smile never faltering though her eyes hardened. "Raymond knows where his future lies—and it's not
The preparations for Marcus's funeral ceremony enveloped the pack in a somber hush. Ancient traditions required three days of preparation before we could lay our Alpha to rest, and I found myself immersed in the rituals I'd studied since childhood but never expected to perform so soon.I watched Ray
Marcus's gaze moved between us one last time, then fixed on something beyond our vision. With a final, rattling breath, the great Alpha slipped away.Elena's anguished cry shattered the silence. She collapsed beside the bed, her composure finally breaking as she clutched Marcus's still-warm hand.Ra
The fires at our borders mysteriously died down as quickly as they had ignited. Warriors returning from the eastern perimeter reported that the rogue forces had abruptly withdrawn—vanishing into the darkness as if their attack had been nothing but a distraction."It doesn't make sense," I said to Ka
Luna Elena arrived unexpectedly that afternoon, her usually perfect appearance showing signs of strain. "Marcus is stabilized for now," she told me after we embraced. "But I fear the damage is irreversible."Together, we reviewed the evidence I'd gathered: Giana's poisoning of Marcus, the territoria
Dawn brought an urgent summons from Raymond: "Council emergency meeting. Attendance mandatory."I dressed quickly, the sudden emergency after last night's ceremony triggering all my suspicions. Whatever Giana had planned was accelerating."We intercepted messages between your father and unknown cont