The Council Hall of the Allied Packs stood like an ancient titan carved from black stone, towering above the valley. Its pillars—wolf-shaped and weather-worn—seemed to watch every visitor who approached, judging them long before the council elders inside even could.
Storm clouds churned overhead, muting the sunlight into a cold, iron-gray wash. Lightning flickered behind the mountains, illuminating the hall’s runes in eerie, rhythmic pulses. The air was thick with ozone and old magic, humming faintly against the skin, prickling the senses of every wolf present.
Darius, Elaine, and Nathan approached the enormous staircase that led toward the entrance. Warriors from Crescent Moon marched behind them in perfect formation, their silver-and-black armor catching the faint blue torchlight from
