Hope's POV.
The forest hums with life, the air cool and crisp beneath the heavy pull of the full moon. Each breath I take feels weighted, not with dread, but with the ache of knowing this night will never happen again. Tomorrow, Lucian and Emory will start their new life. The pack will shift back to its rhythm without them.
And tonight… tonight is my first time shifting in front of them all.
Malakar walks at my side, his hand brushing mine, the silent warmth of his presence grounding me. His wolf is restless — I can feel it radiating off him — but he keeps pace with me, as though my heartbeat sets the tempo.
The trees thin just enough for moonlight to spill in silver ribbons over the clearing. Shadows of my family move between the trunks ahead — Lucian’s tall frame, Emory’s easy gra
