Rain's POV
The next few days felt like walking through a storm that never ended.
The kind of storm that didn't just howl outside — it lived inside you.
Our pack was preparing for war.
Everywhere I turned, there were wolves in motion — warriors sparring in the yard, healers grinding herbs into pastes, children being rushed indoors before dusk. The air carried the scent of sweat, steel, and fear. Even the wind felt heavy, like it knew something was coming.
Reinforcements had started to arrive — wolves from the Wastelands, warriors who had resisted Azrath's curse and crossed mountains to stand with us. More soldiers came from Batista's pack, leaving the human borders behind.
It should have filled me with pride. And it did.
But beneath all that pride… was fear.
Real, bone-deep fear.
Everywhere I looked, shadows followed.
