The pack training fields were quiet in the way only dawn could make them—mist clinging low to the earth, dew darkening the packed soil, the forest beyond holding its breath. Aurora stood near the edge of the clearing, arms folded tightly around herself as the sky slowly bled from violet to pale gold.
She could still feel it.
The bond.
New. Raw. Complete.
Her neck tingled beneath the loose collar of her shirt, the mark hidden but unmistakable. Every breath she took carried the echo of him—his scent, his heartbeat, the way his wolf had surged forward and claimed her without hesitation or apology.
There was no regret in it.
But there was weight.
Behind her, Ember leaned against the rail that bordered the training grounds, dark hair pulled into a loose braid, arms crossed as she watched
