The pack no longer held together as it once had.
Ronan returned, not in secret this time, but boldly. He stood on the ridge, his copper hair blazing in the weak winter sun, his amber eyes glowing with unholy light.
Dozens of wolves stood with him—once Kael's, now corrupted, their fur streaked with black veins, their eyes burning red with shadow.
"They follow me now," Ronan called down, his voice ringing across the clearing. "Because I offer them freedom from your chains. No Alpha. No witch. Only power."
Kael's growl rumbled deep in his chest, his wolf clawing for release. "You've doomed them."
"They chose me," Ronan said, his gaze sliding to Aradia. "Just as she should have."
The wolves at Kael's back shifted uneasily, growls rippling. For the first time, Aradia saw it—the crack in Kael's authority. Fear had taken root.
And if the Alpha fell, the pack would crumble.