Morning settled over Shadowpine like a fragile peace that could shatter at the slightest sound.The golden light of dawn spilled across the stone courtyard, illuminating warriors gathering for training and elders whispering beneath the carved archways. Yet beneath the ordinary rhythm of pack life, something had shifted.The air carried tension—thin, sharp, watchful. Ayla felt it the moment she stepped out into the open.Eyes followed her.Not the dismissive looks she had grown used to. Not the mocking smirks that once shadowed her every movement. This was different. Wolves who once overlooked her now observed her carefully, measuring something they did not