Faye's POV
The courtyard stones felt like ice beneath my feet. Mist drifted between ancient pillars, and the cold bit deeper than I remembered from my childhood here. The entire Scarlet Howlers Pack had assembled for our arrival. Guards stood at attention in polished armor, servants waited with rigid postures, and there in the center stood Alpha Marcus himself.
Time had barely touched him. He remained imposing, radiating the kind of authority that came from decades of absolute power. His weathered face revealed nothing as he surveyed our small group. This reception felt more like an obligation than genuine hospitality.
When his eyes swept over us, they paused on me for just a heartbeat.
