The Moonshadow Pack had always thrived on unity. Wolves moved as one, their loyalty bound by blood and bond. But after the council’s debate, that unity began to splinter.

Bella felt it first in the small things. The maid who once greeted her warmly now lowered her eyes and mumbled. Warriors who used to spar in the yard stopped when she walked past, their whispers slicing sharper than blades. Even the children stared with wide eyes, pulled back quickly by their mothers’ hands.

She was ...