The forest around Crescent Vale was dark and quiet, but the tension was thick enough to taste. Moonlight glinted off the leaves, casting shadows across the path as our trucks and horses pulled to a stop. Every allied pack was here—the Northford hunters, the Ironridge fighters, the hill wolves who moved like shadows. They all waited silently, their eyes sharp, muscles tense. The air smelled of wet earth and pine. I could feel my heartbeat in my throat.
Jax stood beside me, his hand holding mine. Like he was scared that I was going to disappear again. That i was going to leave him. I squeezed it back, feeling his steady strength. Zack was on the other side, scanning the tree line like he expected something to move at any second. Joseph gave us one last look before stepping forward.
“Rememb
