MasukMorning broke over Shadowfang beneath a sky filled with heavy clouds, their dark shapes stretching across the mountains like an omen. The warmth that usually accompanied sunrise never came. Instead, a cold wind swept through the territory, carrying with it the uneasy feeling that something had changed overnight.The packhouse had been awake long before dawn. Messengers came and went without pause, stable hands prepared fresh horses, and warriors armed themselves before taking their positions along the walls. Damien's order to strengthen every border had transformed Shadowfang into something resembling a fortress. No one complained. After the report from Frostclaw, every wolf understood that the peace they had enjoyed for the last few months had finally come to an end.Inside the Alpha's office, Damien stood over the map once again
The mood inside Shadowfang changed almost overnight.Although the pack remained busy as ever, there was a noticeable tension in the air that hadn't been there before. Every warrior understood something was coming. Patrols left before sunrise and returned long after nightfall. Watchtowers remained occupied at all hours, while messengers rode between Shadowfang and its allied packs carrying reports that seemed to grow more troubling with each passing day.Damien hadn't spent a full night in his own room for nearly a week.Instead, he could usually be found inside his office with Korven, Garrick and several patrol leaders gathered around a large map spread across the table. Fresh markings covered nearly every border. Rogue sightings had increased dramatically, yet no attacks had occurred. The Witch Queen continued to w
The morning sun bathed Shadowfang in warm golden light, but Selene had long since stopped believing that peaceful mornings meant peaceful days. Ever since the rogue had been captured near the northern border, Damien had transformed the entire pack into a fortress. Patrols rotated twice as often, guards stood watch from every tower, and scouts came and went throughout the day carrying reports from every corner of the territory. The Witch Queen had vanished once again, and somehow her silence was far more unsettling than her threats had ever been.None of that, however, stopped Selene from making her way toward the training grounds.At five months pregnant, most people expected her to spend her days resting.Selene had other ideas.Sh
Her eyes glistened with fresh tears as she struggled to steady her breathing. "The day Elder Myra confirmed it, I wanted to find you immediately." She lowered her gaze, her fingers tightening around each other. "Then the rogue was captured... and everything fell apart."Malric looked away, his jaw tightening. He remembered that day with painful clarity. The interrogation. The rogue's laughter echoing through the holding cell. Liam's name. From that moment onward, nothing in his life had been the same. Every memory of Veyra had become intertwined with the memory of his best friend's death, until he could no longer separate one from the other."I thought..." Veyra whispered, fighting the tears threatening to spill over. "Once you found out about Liam... you'd never want to see me again." She gave a bitter laugh that held no amusement. "So I kept waiting. I kept t
The rest of the afternoon passed in uneasy silence.Although Shadowfang remained as busy as ever, Veyra barely noticed the warriors moving through the courtyard or the distant sounds of training. Her conversation with Malric replayed endlessly in her mind. He had listened. He hadn't forgiven her, but he had listened. Somehow, that made everything even harder. She had been so close to telling him the truth, only for the moment to slip through her fingers once again.She stood alone beneath the same flowering tree long after he had disappeared from sight, her hand resting protectively against her stomach. The child growing inside her had become her greatest source of hope and, at the same time, her greatest fear."You let him go."Veyra turned to find Elder Myra approachin
Morning arrived beneath a blanket of grey clouds, the air cool and unusually still. The quiet that hung over Shadowfang wasn't peaceful it carried the unsettling feeling that something was waiting just beyond the horizon. Despite it, the estate remained busy. Warriors crossed the training grounds with renewed purpose, patrols rotated in and out through the main gates, and servants hurried through the halls preparing supplies that would soon be sent to both Shadowfang and Silvermoon. Damien's orders from the previous evening had already spread throughout the pack. Every border was to remain under constant watch until further notice.Malric stood outside one of the guest quarters, fastening the leather straps around his forearm guards while a pair of Silvermoon warriors secured several travel packs nearby. Garrick had made the decision. They would leave for Silvermoon the following
Veyra stepped lightly across the clearing, her movements careful yet deliberate. The pack was still suspicious of her but she had no choice but to walk openly among the pack if she wanted to regain their trust. Her arms still bore faint bruises, and some of the older wolves cast her cautious glan
The morning mist hung low over the training grounds, softening the edges of trees and rocks. Veyra adjusted the strap of her pack, her movements measured, careful. Today was different today she would accompany Damien and Korven on a patrol. Every step she took, every glance she cast, was weighed
The morning mist clung low to the forest floor, curling around the trunks of ancient trees like silent spectators. The clearing was alive with quiet energy, but it was different this time. The pack moved with careful precision, muscles taut, eyes scanning the edges of the forest. Th
The northern border was too still.Not just silence but stillness.Silence meant peace. Stillness meant something was waiting.Damien could feel it crawling beneath his skin as his patrol advanced through the frost-thick undergrowth. The air was damp with







