Laura's fingers trembled as she turned the pages of the book. The leather felt warm under her touch, almost alive. Her heart pounded as she found what she was looking for - a section titled "The Duskbane Curse."
The Duskbane bloodline carries a terrible burden, passed from Alpha to Alpha through generations. During the Shadow Wars, the first Alpha of Shadowfang made a pact with ancient powers to protect his pack. The price: moments of savage madness that grant explosive power but rob the Alpha of reason and humanity.
Laura gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. She remembered Zephyr's tightly controlled demeanor, his careful movements. It all made sense now.
As the Alpha ages, these episodes become more frequent, more violent. Many Duskbanes have killed their own pack members during thes
