The cool night breezes rustled through the trees surrounding the main den, but Evelina barely noticed. She paced the dimly lit chamber with slow, measured strides, her mind whirling.

Only a few nights earlier, the unthinkable had happened - she had fallen gravely ill with a virulent fever. For several endless days and nights, she had lain delirious in the healer's den while the sickness raged through her body.

Now, having finally turned the corner and regained some strength, she was wrestling with another weight bearing down on her shoulders. The full implications of what her brief brush with mortality would mean for the pack.

"You shouldn't be over-exerting yourself."...