The morning came colder than usual.

Mist crawled across the Shadowfang courtyard, thick and low, wrapping the fortress in an eerie silence. The warriors trained quietly, their eyes flicking toward the Alpha every now and then, not out of admiration this time, but uncertainty. Something had changed in Darius. Everyone could feel it.

Selene stood near the edge of the training ground, her cloak pulled tight against the chill. Her eyes never left him. Darius moved with precision as always, each ...