The courtyard was quiet. Only the wind moved, dragging dried leaves across the stone floor like ghosts whispering secrets. The pack knew better than to linger. They’d scattered without a word when Reule’s voice echoed through the house cold and sharp: “Send Lila to me. Now.”

He stood in the center, hands behind his back, face unreadable. Dressed in a black shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, boots still dusty from the forest, Reule looked like a judgment-made flesh.

Lila ...