LYRA'S POVThe letter changes everything.I find Kael at the window, ashes still smoldering in the hearth. His shoulders are tight. His jaw set. Through the bond, I feel his fear—not panic, but the cold, steady dread of a man who has learned that victory only breeds new battles."What did it say?" I ask.He tells me. The shared throne noticed. The scar seen. Others coming. Something older than hunters, older than wolves, older than bargains.I touch the mark on my wrist. It sleeps. Dormant. But beneath the surface, I feel something new. A vibration. Like a plucked string, still humming."They know we're here," I say. "Whatever they are."Kael nods. "We need to prepare. Train. Learn what we face before it arrives.""And if it arrives before we're ready?"He turns. His gray eyes meet mine. The bond flares between us, his determination mixing with my uncertainty."Then we fight unready," he says. "Same as always."---We gather the pack at noon.Warriors. Elders. Children. They fill the
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