Three months passed.
Not quickly. Not slowly. Just—peacefully. The kind of peace I'd never known. The kind that came from strength instead of fear. From unity instead of division. From choosing to build instead of constantly defending.
It felt strange. Good. Like learning to breathe after drowning.
"Alpha?" Marcus approached with morning reports. "The eastern border patrol found nothing. The western scouts report the same. Northern territory is—" He paused. "Quiet. Stable. Peaceful."
"Boring?" I suggested. Smiling slightly.
"Boring," he agreed. "But in a good way. The kind of boring that means we're not fighting for survival. Just—living."
Living. What a concept. After months of exile, vampire attacks, mate bond drama, coronations, and sister-branding—we were just living.
The united pack had settled. Former Heartlands wolves integrated smoothly. Rogues found purpose. Direwolf clan members adapted to permanent settlement instead of wandering. We'd become—
