Dusk fell like a verdict.
The last light of day bled across the treetops, staining the world in crimson and violet. The air felt charged, heavy enough that my lungs struggled to pull breath. It was as if the land itself braced for something ancient waking up. Something that had waited far too long.
The first warning came as a tremor beneath our boots, followed by a howl so sharp it carved through bone. Then another. Then dozens. They poured through the trees like an avalanche of snarling bodies and snapping jaws.
Valen had launched his assault.
Ronan did not hesitate. He barked orders that cut through the chaos, each one a command no wolf dared ignore. Warriors sprinted to defenses already half built from the earlier patrols. Shields slammed into the dirt. Arrows notched into bows. Wol
