KELLY THOMPSON'S POV

The night air hummed with tension as the scent of impending conflict mingled with the musk of the forest. I could feel every heartbeat of my pack, a rhythm pulsing in unison with my own. Huddled within the shadows, we were a tight coil of anticipation, waiting for the moment to strike.

"Eden," I whispered, my voice barely audible above the rustling leaves. "Now."

My son, young yet old beyond his years, stepped forward, his slender fingers closing around the scepter of ...