Lucien POV

Bloodmoon looked the same when I returned. The gates stood tall. The guards bowed. The banners still carried my mark. Wolves lined the paths and lowered their heads as Ivy, Rick, and I passed through the heart of the pack.

On the surface, nothing had changed.

But I felt it immediately.

The air was heavier, not with magic, but with restraint. Conversations ended too quickly. Eyes dropped too fast. The usual noise of the pack felt thinner, careful, controlled.

Rick held my hand ...