The victory at the Silver Grove lingered like a fragile hope, fragile and fleeting. As Lyla and the others returned to the Blackwood camp, the forest seemed brighter, alive in a way it hadn’t been since the shadow first took root. Yet beneath the newfound vibrancy, an undercurrent of unease remained. The grove’s light had been a powerful blow to Kane, but Lyla knew the shadow wasn’t defeated.

It was regrouping.

Back at the camp, the pack gathered around the fire, their faces lit by ...