Closing my eyes, I listened to the soft murmur of the stream—a peaceful counterpoint to the terrible memories running through my head. I considered my ancestors—the great Alpha King who had once governed with wisdom and whose fall had planted the seeds of treachery, the many fighters who had died protecting our honor, and the covert betrayals that had left wounds on our spirit. Their words rang in the rustling leaves, reminding me that our heritage was a basis upon which we may create a better future rather than a chain to be carried in grief.
Still, the price of that future was heavy. The treason that had crept into our pack was just the start; we would have to confront foes both old and new in the next days. From the shadows, the robed traitors, the Dark Wolves, and the invisible force altering events all fit together to create a bigger jigsaw threatening to ruin what we had battled for.
