The dawn broke gray over Ravenclaw, a sky smothered by clouds that promised rain. The courtyard, usually alive with the sounds of training and chatter, lay quiet. Wolves moved with hushed voices and downcast eyes, their unease hanging in the air like mist. They had felt it the night before, the weakness of their Alpha, the way his cough had torn through the silence of the council chamber. Whispers spread faster than fire, and Evelyn could feel them with every step she took across the stone paths.
She held her head high, though her chest felt heavy. Damien still slept in their chamber, his body exhausted from the strain of speaking to the council. She had not closed her eyes once, watching the rise and fall of his breath, terrified each time it faltered. The promise she made to him echoed in her mind with every heartbeat. Protect them. Protect Ravenclaw. She had sworn it, and now the pack was watching to see if she could keep that vow.
