Back in Shadowfang territory, Alpha Kael Blackthorn paced the length of the council hall.
The unease in his chest refused to fade.
It had been there since the ceremony.
A constant, irritating reminder that something wasn't right.
He stopped abruptly, pressing a hand against his chest.
The mate bond should have disappeared.
But it hadn't.
Instead, it lingered—faint, but real.
"Alpha," Elder Rowan said carefully from across the room. "You seem troubled."
Kael let out a sharp breath.
"The bond didn't break," he admitted.
Rowan frowned.
"That is not possible."
"I know," Kael replied. "But I can still feel her."
The words hung heavily in the air.
Rowan stepped closer.
"There is something else," he said. "The scouts reported unusual activity in the northern forest."
Kael's gaze sharpened.
"What kind of activity?"
"Lunar energy."
Kael's chest tightened again.
Lunar magic was ancient.
Powerful.
And incredibly rare.
For a brief moment, Ava's face flashed in his mind.
He pushed the thought away immediately.
It couldn't be her.
And yet…
The unease in his chest grew stronger.