The war room was silent except for the crackle of fire in the hearth.
Kael stood at the long table, hands braced on either side of a large map. His warriors flanked him, some in human form, others in their hybrid shift — half-wolf, half-man. All eyes were on Amara.
Selene stayed back, watching the way Amara moved. Casual, confident, not at all like someone in enemy territory.
"Show us where she is," Kael said.
Amara leaned over the map and pointed to a valley just outside the border of their land — a place marked in red ink, labeled Deadfall Ravine.
"She's been hiding here for months," Amara said. "Moving at night. Testing the edges of your defenses."
Kael frowned. "There's nothing out there but bones and snow."
"Exactly," Amara said. "No one patrols it. That's what makes it perfect."
Selene stepped forward. "What's she planning?"
Amara's fingers traced a line from the ravine to the heart of Kael's territory. "There's a tunnel system under the forest. Forgotten. Caved in years ago, but she knows the route. She's using it."
"To get where?" Kael asked.
Amara looked up, her voice flat. "Your Alpha Hall."
Selene felt the air shift in the room. Every warrior tensed.
"She's going to try and take out the leadership," Amara said. "Not just Kael. Everyone. Beta. Gamma. Elders. Anyone who can command a pack."
Kael's expression didn't change, but the air around him pulsed with energy. "How long do we have?"
"A week, maybe less. Depends on how many rogues she's gathered."
Selene stared at the map. "She's not just starting a war. She's cutting the head off the system."
"And the body will scatter," Amara added. "That's the plan."
Kael folded his arms. "Then we strike first."
Amara raised a brow. "You go in blind, she'll bury you in the dark. You're not dealing with wolves drunk on freedom. These rogues are trained."
Kael turned to Selene. "Then we need someone who knows how they think."
Selene didn't look at him. "You're asking me to lead a mission."
"I'm asking you to survive it," he said. "And bring her back alive."
Selene finally met his eyes. "That might not be possible."
"You knew her," he said. "Use that."
She nodded slowly. "And if she won't listen?"
Kael's answer was cold. "Then don't bring her back at all."
Later that night, Selene sat alone in the old weapons shed behind the training grounds.
The moonlight slipped through the slats in the roof, catching the edge of her dagger as she sharpened it. Sparks flew with each drag across the whetstone.
She heard footsteps, soft and slow.
Amara.
"You going to pretend you're not scared?" Amara asked, leaning against the doorframe.
"I'm not scared," Selene said.
"You're shaking."
Selene looked down. She was.
"She's not the same girl we knew," Amara said. "The Nerya you buried doesn't exist anymore."
Selene stared at the blade in her hands. "Then why do I still feel like I'm the one who died?"
Amara said nothing for a long time. Then, "You're not ready for this."
Selene looked up. "You said I was the only one who could stop her."
"You are," Amara said. "But that doesn't mean you're ready."
Selene stood. "Ready or not, I have five days. And if I don't find her before then…"
"They'll kill her," Amara finished.
Selene sheathed the blade.
"No," she said. "I will."
In the dark woods outside the border, something moved. White fur brushed against the trees, silent as a ghost.
The White Wolf stood on a cliff overlooking the valley. Her eyes glowed silver in the night, fixed on the pack lights in the distance.
She lifted a hand. Dozens of wolves emerged from the shadows behind her, waiting. Her voice was a whisper carried on the wind.
"Burn it all."