The morning air in Moonshadow was brittle with tension. A pale mist clung to the courtyard, and though the sun had risen, it gave little warmth. Wolves gathered in uneasy clusters, their voices hushed, their eyes darting toward the council house where the fate of their Luna was to be decided.

Bella stood inside the chamber, the shawl pulled tightly around her shoulders, though no cloth could shield her from the storm brewing beyond these walls. Her breath came shallow, each inhale stinging her ...