KELLY THOMPSON'S POV

The howl pierced the grandeur of the hall like a warning from the shadows, and in an instant, darkness swallowed us whole. A harbinger's cry – it was never mistaken for anything less than a portent of doom. I could feel the collective breath catch, as if the entire Council of Packs held its lungs captive in fear. The Black Faes were a specter that haunted our nights, and now, their threat loomed invisible yet palpable among us.

"Kelly, what's happening?" The voice, ...