Kathy followed the council healers as they guided Michael down the long corridor, his weight sagging heavily against their arms. The once-proud alpha barely seemed conscious of his surroundings. His eyes—usually sharp, commanding—were dull now, unfocused, as though something inside him had retreated far beyond reach. His wolf, the fierce creature that had once defined him, had curled inward like a wounded animal hiding deep in the dark.
The door to the council infirmary swung open with a soft groan. Pale moonlight filtered through the high windows, casting thin ribbons of silver across the floor. The scent of antiseptic herbs, mugwort, and wolfsbane drifted in the still air. Kathy stepped inside, her heart tightening when she saw Michael lowered onto the examination bed.
The healer, a st
