Aria’s POV…..

The camp felt quieter than it had in days.

Not silent—never silent—but subdued, like a forest holding its breath after a storm. The scent of dozens of packs lingered in the air: pine and iron, ash and rain, unfamiliar wolves who had sought refuge in the Alpha King’s domain when the world was burning and now… were ready to return home.

I stood at the edge of the clearing, Caelum wrapped snugly against my chest, his tiny warmth anchoring me as I watched them ...