The moon hung low over the pack lands, silver light spilling across the rooftops and the quiet forest beyond. Most of the pack had gone to sleep hours ago, exhausted from the battle, the fear, the relief. But Evan stood on the porch outside their room, arms folded, gaze fixed on the treeline.

He wasn’t keeping watch out of fear. He just couldn’t sleep. Behind him, through the open doorway, he could hear Jadon’s breathing soft, steady, peaceful. The sound anchored him more than the ground ...