The forest did not return to normal after the hunt.
It couldn't.
Something had shifted too deeply, too visibly, for silence to smooth it over. Even after the wolves dispersed, even after the last echoes of howls faded into the trees, the air remained tight with unresolved tension.
Selene felt it as she walked back toward the compound, the pack trailing behind her in fractured clusters.
Not united.
Not divided.
Not yet.
Some wolves walked with their heads lifted, eyes bright with something dangerously close to hope. Others kept their distance, their gazes sharp and calculating. A few refused to look at her at all.
Fear wore many faces.
She shifted back to human form before reaching the gates, hands shaking slightly as adrenaline drained from her system. Her body protested the movement, every bruise and strain making itself known.
Silas was there instantly.
