"The Ancient Alpha?" Leo echoed.

Growing up, there were always flutters of stories swirling in the wind about the Ancient Alpha. We all knew it: a man who made a deal with the devil—or rather a warlock—to kill his brother to get eternal power and bring back his wife and child.

It was one that all of the packs in the surrounding area knew well—a fable or children’s spook story told by the elders as a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of power. But that’s ...