Roman had survived. He had survived without shifting, without the wolf taking over, without panicking. And in that survival, there was something I could build on.
I would check on him later. Quietly. But not now. Now, he needed to feel the sting of consequence. The weight of hesitation. The reality that the world didn’t make exceptions for those who hadn’t yet claimed their power.
I watched him disappear toward the tree line, shoulders tense but still upright. His journey to understanding, to control, to awakening, had just begun. And I would make sure he didn’t forget this lesson.
---
FAYE
I pushed open the kitchen door, expecting the usual quiet hum of conversation or the clatter of dishes. Instead, I caught fragments of voices—excited, yet hushed, like secrets being shared that wer
