Caelan POV:
It starts as planning.
Nothing dramatic, there is no tension threading the air. Just the four of us gathered on the far side of the training grounds where the land slopes gently toward the lake, the trees thinning enough that the late afternoon sun filters through in long gold bands.
Kieran sprawls against a fallen log like he’s attending a social gathering rather than discussing something that will anchor the entire pack.
Rhydan stands instead, arms loosely folded, posture relaxed but attentive. He always looks like he’s quietly cataloguing everything, our wolves, mood, terrain, implications.
Elara stands beside me, shoulder brushing mine, fingers warm where they lace through my hand. She isn’t tense, but she’s focused in that deliberate way of hers that says she’s alread
