Preparing for the Road

The Citadel felt hollow, waiting for dawn. After the storm and the terrifying brush with Demetrius's unfiltered pain, the hours had crawled by. The expedition was no longer a threat hanging over my head; it was a deadline. The end of the Citadel's fragile, gilded safety.

I stood by the window as the first pale light stretched over the mountain peaks. Below, the courtyard was organized chaos. Lycans in dark, practical armor moved with swift purpose, loading supply wagons ...