Avery’s gaze was fixed on the stone ceiling of the cabin, her expression one of agony and resignation, as if her wolf had finally retreated into the shadows. Tears tracked silently through the dirt on her face.

Meanwhile, Scarlett Vale watched the scene with a predatory hunger, her mind already calculating how to use the chaos to her advantage. She secretly hoped the violence would result in the loss of Avery’s unborn pup—a Montgomery heir she couldn't allow to exist. If the "scorned wife" or the "enraged pack" did the deed, Scarlett’s hands would remain clean of blood-guilt in the eyes of the High Council.

She watched Avery with profound...