PREPARING FOR WARThe peace of the morning didn't last long. The news of the Omega release had spread like wildfire through the pack, but even as the cheers of the freed workers echoed in the lower village, a darker shadow was moving from the north.

Esmeralda stood on the stone balcony, looking out at the horizon. The air felt colder today. It wasn't just the change in season; it was the feeling of something coming. Something loud and heavy.

"You haven't eaten," a voice said behind her.

She ...