Snow blanketed Hollow Mountain with a silence that felt almost holy. It fell in lazy spirals, thick enough to muffle the crunch of boots and paws, the world reduced to white and shadows. Celeste had always found winter cleansing, but tonight it prickled with an edge of unease.

The packs were still in transition, wolves and supplies moving from Hollow Mountain toward the new valley site that Hunter had scouted. Spirits were heavy after farewells, after graves dug into frozen soil. They were ...