Dawn broke quietly over Moonshadow territory, painting the sky in muted streaks of gray and pale gold. The pack house, usually alive with the rhythm of training and chatter at this hour, seemed weighed down by an unnatural hush. It was the kind of silence that held questions in its belly and dared anyone to answer them.

Bella sat by the window of her chamber, wrapped in a woolen blanket, her gaze fixed on the forest beyond. Her body still ached, but it was her mind that bore the heavier wound. ...