The sun had not yet risen when the knock came. The quiet before dawn usually felt peaceful, but today it felt heavy and stretched thin, like the air itself had been holding its breath. I was still curled beneath the blanket, the warmth of the night lingering on my skin, a soft echo of Talon beside me. His arm was draped across my waist, steady and warm, as if even in sleep he refused to let me drift too far.
My mark pulsed faintly beneath the blanket. A soft glow touched the underside of my wrist, silver and warm, a reminder of everything that had changed inside me. I knew the pack had noticed. I had felt their staring eyes even through walls, through the threads of the Moonbond. Curiosity. Fear. Awe. No one had dared speak a word, but their feelings slid along the bond like whispers.
Th
