Jacob

The night is a cloak of tension as Alpha Jacob paces the forest clearing, each step a silent quake upon the earth. Shadows cling to him, whispering of betrayal, and in his hand, he clenches a branch snapped from an overhanging limb, its fibers splintering beneath the strength of his grasp.

“Alena…” he hisses, the name searing the cool night air like a brand. “With Roak? That usurper king?” The branch in his grasp shatters, pieces falling like accusations at his ...