The mud pits at the southern edge of the Greenwood territory were a grueling, miserable stretch of swampy terrain, deliberately designed to sap a wolf’s stamina until their muscles screamed for mercy. The thick, gray clay clung to combat boots like wet cement, ensuring that every single step required three times the effort of a normal stride.

It was a place meant to break arrogance, and right now, the elite warriors of three different packs were wading through it side by side, their collective misery slowly dissolving the bitter rivalries that had divided them just an hour before.

I stood on the wooden observation platform overlooking the pits, my arms...