Chapter 41

The main compound was exactly as Arianna remembered it, yet completely different. The basic structure was the same—her father's hall, the administrative buildings, the living quarters that had housed pack leadership for generations. But Blackthorn had made changes. Guard posts at every entrance, warriors patrolling with military precision, an atmosphere of controlled tension that had never existed under her father's rule.

They led her through the main gates, past curious and hostile stares from wolves she'd once known. Some she recognized—pack members who'd attended celebrations at her father's table, who'd congratulated her when she'd been betrothed to Kael. Now they watched her pass with expressions ranging from pity...