The first wolf’s howl faded, but the echo of it lived in every stone, every breath, every heartbeat in the hall. The sound was not command. It was invitation. A doorway swung open, not to destiny, but to possibility.
Outside, the wind slowed. Snowflakes drifted silently instead of being hurled sideways by magic and fear. Wolves across the ridge lifted their heads, their instincts recalibrated. They no longer braced for orders from the moon. They waited for something else.
For choice.
The first wolf watched me with eyes as old as hunger and as calm as dawn. I felt its presence inside my bones, not crushing, but steady. A weight that asked to be shared rather than carried.
My wolf pressed against my mind. Not urging. Not pleading.
Ready.
Ronan stepped between us.
He stood as a man aga
