The air outside the council chamber was thick with unease. Wolves still murmured in clusters, their voices carrying the same word over and over: Roland. His name had become a storm cloud above Moonshadow, shadowing every whispered conversation.

Bella sat on the edge of her bed, the golden hum still restless under her skin. She pressed a hand to her chest, wishing she could quiet it, wishing she could understand it. Alfred had left again, pacing the borders with his top warriors, restless and ...