All Chapters of SILVER IN THE SHADOWS: Chapter 61 - Chapter 67

A year had passed since the night the pups were born. North Creek had changed with them. The walls that once rang with orders and war cries now echoed with laughter, with the sound of small feet learning to run, with voices softened by joy. The keep itself seemed brighter, warmed by the simple truth of life continuing. The morning of their birthday dawned clear and gentle. The pines whispered in the breeze, and the courtyard had been decorated with garlands of wildflowers woven by the pack’s children. A feast was laid out: roasted meats, honeyed bread, baskets of fruit gathered from the forest. Laughter rose even before the sun reached its height.Trixie stood at the heart of it all, her cloak thrown aside, her hair loose, her eyes softer than ever. She watched as Marielle toddled forward, her small legs unsteady but determined. Afina followed with calm steps, her gaze sharp and observant even now. Little Ryker darted ahead, faster than either, chasing after a wooden wolf toy Droco

KIRA The Hollow does not fight in daylight. We move in the hours when honest people sleep and the world is too dead to hear our steps. That night was no different. The air was cold, the sky dark and heavy. Our boots made no sound on the dirt. Our faces were hidden under black hoods smeared with ash. Serana said no one who survived would ever know who we were. It was meant to comfort us. It only made me feel smaller. Shame stuck to my skin like sweat. Mira walked ahead of me, her pace sharp and sure. She didn’t look back. I could see the fire in her eyes before we even reached the farm. She had been waiting for this moment - Wanting it. I wanted to take her hand and pull her back. I wanted to tell her that she didn’t have to prove anything to anyone. But the Hollow warriors surrounded us—men and women who lived on blood and fear. If I showed weakness, they’d turn on me before dawn. So I kept walking. When we reached the edge of the ridge, the farm lay below us. A barn, a field

KIRA The Hollow camp had been quieter since the raid, but not peaceful. Quiet in the Hollow never meant calm. It was the silence before the next hunt. Days had passed, yet the smell of smoke still clung to the air. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the orange glow of that farm burning, heard the screams caught in the wind. I had scrubbed my hands raw trying to wash away the scent, but it never left. It had sunk too deep. Mira, though, seemed different. Her eyes shone with a strange pride when Serana praised her before the others. Warriors clapped her on the back, calling her -The flame of the Hollow. She smiled when they did. I wanted to be happy for her, but I couldn’t. Every time I looked at her, I saw a piece of the sister I knew slipping further away. That night, the fire in the center of the cavern burned low, shadows licking the walls. Most of the others had gone to rest, but Mira stayed awake, sharpening her blade, humming under her breath. I sat across from her, prete