Chapter 21

• The quiet of the night had a deceptive calmness, the kind that cloaked tension simmering just beneath the surface. Damien sat in his office long after the pack had gone to bed, staring at the reports spread across his desk. Patrol schedules, sightings of Lucien’s scouts, and notes from Marcus detailed a troubling pattern.
• Lucien wasn’t retreating—he was regrouping.
• Damien leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. The flicker of candlelight danced over the sharp planes of his face, but his eyes were distant, focused on the mounting threat.