Serena POV

As the sun began its slow descent, casting a warm golden hue over the rugged landscape, I stood at the edge of the village, taking in a deep breath. Today was crucial. The children, or pups as they were affectionately called here, had been skeptical of me from the start.

As an outsider and a member of the Pack Alliance, I was an anomaly in their tight-knit world. But today, I was determined to win them over.

I gathered the pups in the ...