C31 Cracks in the pack

The courtyard buzzed with unrest at dawn. Wolves gathered in small clusters, their voices low, sharp with fear. The night had left marks on them—sleepless eyes, trembling hands, the scent of doubt thick in the air.

Lucas kept Zoe close, her small hand wrapped in his, while Vashti stood at the steps, her golden aura blazing to command silence.

But the silence didn’t hold for long