*Shadow Pack — The Assembly Grounds, Night*

The assembly grounds of Shadow Pack were unlike any Crystal had ever seen. Beneath the northern mountains, the ground formed a natural ring. The faint howl of some distant lone wolf threaded through the peaks, an eerie reminder of how wild and unforgiving the northern mountains could be.

Ryder stood at the center of the circle, shoulders squared, golden eyes scanning the crowd. Crystal could feel Aelira pacing in the corners of her mind, the wolf ...