"The beast outside is nothing compared to the monster within." , Fragmentary text from the Codex of Whispering Shadows
The clearing fell into a tense hush.
Every breath, every heartbeat, seemed too loud in the silence. Wolves paced just beyond the firelight, their forms little more than shifting shadows, their eyes glinting like embers in the dark. Low growls rose and fell in uneven waves, a rumbling chorus that never quite broke into an attack. The pack was waiting, holding back, their restraint unnatural.
And then the reason revealed itself.
The Alpha stepped forward.
