LOGINWarren’s POVThe path narrowed as we climbed, stone giving way to packed earth and old roots that broke the surface like knuckles. I remembered this region only in fragments—a bend in the land, a familiar slope—but not enough to anchor it to a name or a pack. That unsettled me more than I liked to admit.Dark Silver’s territory should have been burned into my memory.Instead, it felt like a blank space where something vital had been ripped out.Rowan walked ahead of me, unhurried as always, staff tapping lightly against the ground. He had insisted on leading, claiming the terrain shifted more than maps ever admitted. I didn’t argue. My focus was already split.“This seer,” I said after a while, breaking the silence, “how accurate is he?”Rowan glanced back. “Accurate enough to still be alive.”“That doesn’t answer the question.”&l
Lana’s POVMoonbathing, I learned quickly, was less mystical ritual and more deliberate stillness.The clearing sat just beyond the houses, a gentle slope of pale grass surrounded by low stone markers that hummed faintly with old magic. Nothing dramatic happened when we arrived. No chanting. No sudden surges of power. Just the moon above us, full and steady, washing everything in silver light that felt oddly intimate, as though it were paying attention.Mara dropped onto the grass first with a satisfied sigh. “I forgot how much I missed this,” she said, stretching her arms over her head. “Actual rest without someone asking me to justify my existence.”Kael sat a little more carefully, folding his long legs and leaning back on his hands. “You say that like it happens often.”“It happens constantly,” Mara replied. “You just aren’t around for most of it.”I lo
Warren’s POVDistance was easier when the road demanded attention.I focused on the terrain, the shift of earth beneath my boots, the way the trees thinned and thickened as I moved farther from home. The farther I got, the quieter everything became—no pack chatter, no overlapping scents, no Lana watching me like she was waiting for something I didn’t know how to give.Traveling alone used to feel natural.Now it felt deliberate.My wolf stirred beneath my skin, restless and alert, not agitated but watchful in a way that reminded me of old instincts resurfacing. Leadership instincts. Protection. The kind that didn’t ask permission before settling into your bones.Alpha.The word still felt heavy, even after everything began to make sense again.I stopped at a clearing just before dusk, the sky bruised with the promise of night. The elder I was meeting had chosen the location deliberately—neutral ground, far from territory lines, where power couldn’t lean too heavily on place.Smart.I
Lana’s POVI found Warren near the stables, already half-packed and tightening the straps on his travel bag like he was afraid standing still might give something away. His movements were precise, efficient—too efficient. The kind of focus people used when they didn’t want to think.“Warren,” I said, slowing my steps as I approached.He didn’t look up right away. “I’m heading out.”My chest sank anyway. “Out where?”“One of the elders sent word,” he replied. “They want to speak to me privately. About Callen.”That name landed between us like a dropped blade.“How long will you be gone?” I asked.“Not long.” He finally turned toward me, his expression carefully neutral. “A few days, at most.”I nodded, even though that wasn’t what I wanted to hear. “You didn’t tell me you were leaving.”“I didn’t think it was necessary.”There it was again. That cool distance, that invisible wall I kept running into no matter how carefully I approached.“Is everything okay?” I asked quietly.His gaze
Lana’s POVI found Warren near the training grounds just before dusk, standing at the edge of the clearing with his sleeves rolled up and his posture locked tight, like he was bracing for something that never came. The air around him felt colder than the rest of the park, sharper, almost clipped.For a moment, I just watched him.He wasn’t doing anything—no sparring, no pacing—but his presence filled the space in a way that made it hard to breathe. Alpha energy, my wolf whispered, faint but insistent. It was strange how obvious it felt now, like my instincts had been quietly catching up to something everyone else already knew.I cleared my throat.“Warren?”He turned slowly. His eyes flicked over me, paused for half a second too long, then shifted away again.“What is it?” he asked.That was it. No warmth. No edge either. Just distance.“I just wanted to talk,” I said. “You’ve been… different.”His jaw tightened. “I’ve been busy.”“With me,” I added softly.Silence stretched betwee
Lana’s POVThe forest air was crisp as I stepped beyond the lodge’s gates, the moonlight painting the path in silver and black. For the first time since we returned, I felt an urge to wander alone—not out of defiance, but out of necessity. The pack had its routines, and I had mine. I needed to feel the earth beneath my paws, to breathe without the weight of Warren’s presence pressing against every thought.The park surrounding the lodge was vast, a mix of dense woods, open meadows, and winding streams. The scent of pine, damp earth, and wildflowers mingled, pulling at memories I didn’t yet fully remember. Wolves lounged in the distance, shifting between forms, their eyes glimmering in the moonlight. I gave a nod to Mara, who was near the lodge entrance, checking on a small group of scouts. She returned it with a brief smile, then disappeared into the shadows herself.I let the forest swallow me, my senses alert. Each sound—the crack of a twig, the rustle of leaves—reminded me th
Lana’s POVThe first threads of light weaving their way through the layered branches overhead. The air had cooled during the night, settling into a soft mist that clung to the stones and drifted lazily between the trees. It was the kind of morning that made sound feel muted, as if the forest were w
Lana’s POVThe forest softened as we moved deeper into the valley, its sharp edges easing little by little, as if the trees themselves had decided to give us a moment to breathe after the chaos we’d fought through. The sounds of pursuit
Commander Raithe’s POV(Silent Mark leader)The woods were too quiet.Not the calm kind of quiet — the strained silence that follows humiliation. The kind that presses into every branch and every breath, maki
Lana’s POVThe forest broke open beneath the force of chaos, every branch shuddering as shouts, footsteps and the whir of bolts collided into a single, overwhelming sound. The moment the first scout fell, the air changed. The Silent Mark’s confidence cracked, revealing something far more dangerous







