The moon had waned to a thin crescent by the time they reached the neutral ground.
The four of them—Emily, Kai, Jax, and Ronan—had traveled hard for two days, skirting pack borders, sleeping in shifts under the stars. The bond between them had settled into something steady but unspoken: protection without possession, attraction laced with caution. Emily still felt Damian’s rejection like a phantom wound, but the three warriors’ presence dulled the ache. They spoke little, moved as one, and when their eyes met hers, the silver markings on her skin warmed in response.
They arrived at the ancient meeting circle just before dawn—a wide stone amphitheater carved into a mountainside centuries ago, ringed by towering evergreens and warded by neutral runes that prevented bloodshed within its bou
