Dante's POV
By the time we crossed the boundary stones of my territory, I knew. It wasn’t the bond that warned me not anymore. That thread was too thin, too damaged to carry clear emotion. What hit me instead was the silence. The kind that pressed against my ears until my chest tightened. The kind that only followed slaughter.
The forest stood scarred. Trees had been clawed open, bark shredded and blackened by fire. The earth was churned with blood and ash, the scent of death layered so thick it coated the back of my throat. I stopped short, my heart slamming violently against my ribs. Selene stilled beside me. She didn’t ask. She didn’t need to.
We broke into a run.
The pack grounds were barely recognizable. The main hall still stood, but half its eastern wall had collapsed inward. Wo
