Time in war moves differently. Sometimes a day feels like a year. Sometimes a month passes in the blink of an eye.
It had been four weeks since the Forgotten Pack arrived. The cabin had become a base camp. Tents dotted the clearing. The sound of sparring matches and sharpening blades was our new soundtrack.
Marcus had improved drastically. The clean mountain air, the routine of training, and Maya’s constant love had pulled him back from the edge. He was teaching the new recruits hand-to-hand combat. He was still quiet, still prone to nightmares, but the "Feral" episodes had stopped.
But today... today the swords were sheathed.
Today, the training grounds were decorated with colorful streamers made from old fabric scraps.
It was Leo’s First Birthday.
The Celebration
"I can't b
