Gerald Stormborn stood over the dissolving shadow wolf with that damned smirk plastered across his face like he'd just saved the entire world single-handedly. His Crimson Fang warriors surged forward, cheering his name and clapping him on the back with enough force to stagger a normal man. He ate it up, the bastard, grinning wider as they shouted their praise.
"The Alpha found the weakness!"
"Gerald Stormborn, killer of shadow beasts!"
"Crimson Fang will never fall!"
Lyralei watched the celebration with her jaw tight, her borrowed dagger still clutched in her hand while black blood dripped from the blade onto her already ruined dress. Her chest burned where the gold marks flickered beneath torn silk, dimming now that the immediate danger had passed but still warm enough to remind her t
