Because Avery’s leg was still mending from the shattering blow she had taken in the Ridge, she was confined to a gilded wheelchair.

Upon crossing the border into Avalon, the trio took refuge in their new sanctuary, but Avery’s spirit was too restless for idle recovery. She journeyed to the Scarlett Vale branch of the pack’s trade-house, eager to inspect the venture that had been carved out in her name.

Despite its recent opening, the Scarlett Vale trade-hall was thriving. According to the Master of Trade, every moonlit auction drew a full house of high-ranking wolves from neighboring territories. To manage the surge, the Master had brought on a new...