**CAELAN'S POV** I stopped before the fortress gates came into view, my paws sinking into the soft earth. Blood dried along my fur, still warm in places where it hadn't crusted over yet. The kill from the hunt meant nothing now. I shifted. The transformation tore through me sharp and brutal, bones snapping back into place with sounds that echoed too loud in the quiet forest. My human form stood in the cold air, steam rising from overheated skin. My eyes burned gold, the wolf too close to the surface to fully recede. The guard who'd kept my clothes tied to his feet stepped forward and handed them to me. I put them on. Black shirt and trousers. "Not a word," I said, turning to them. They all watched me with expressions that ranged from confusion to dawning horror as they started piecing together my instructions. "If anyone asks, the hunt was successful. A guard died to rogue animals. That's the only story anyone tells." I paused, letting the words sink in, making sur
Last Updated : 2026-01-08 Read more