Marie’s POVThe rogue attack came three days after the bonding ceremony, a tide of feral wolves crashing against our borders under the cover of a blizzard. The pack fought with savage precision, but the rogues were desperate, starving, driven by a rogue Alpha who had lost his territory to the south.I stood beside Xander on the ridge overlooking the valley, watching our warriors engage. Snow swirled around us, the wind carrying the sounds of snarls and screams."Stay close to me," Xander said, his voice gravelly. "This is the real test, Marie. Not the ceremony. Not the binding. This."He shifted first, his massive black wolf form tearing free of his skin, fur bristling with frost. I followed suit, my gray wolf emerging with a shiver of power. The pack bond thrummed with battle lust, and I let it fill me.We descended into the chaos together.I fought alongside Xander, my claws and teeth finding rogues, tearing flesh, spilling blood. I took wounds—a gash on my flank, a bite on my shoul
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