The Summit research hall buzzed with tension the moment Talon and I walked in. The air smelled like burned metal and cold stone, a mix of autopsy fumes and the strange residue clinging to the shard. Wolves clustered around the central table, voices overlapping in sharp arguments that bounced off the vaulted ceiling.
The shard sat in a containment case. Even behind reinforced glass, its light shimmered through the metal bands like a pulse. I felt it the moment I stepped inside. A tug beneath my skin, as if my mark recognized it.
Talon placed a steadying hand on my back as we moved forward. He was tense, muscles coiled, eyes scanning. Every Alpha was on edge after the attack, and this room felt one breath away from chaos.
Alpha Darian from Silvercrest shouted, “That thing needs to be dest
