"If the stars had aligned as I intended, your precious pup would be a broken, mute stray—just as you were when you first crawled into our territory!" Victoria snarled. With every syllable, her manic energy spiked, peaking in a jagged, self-satisfied cackle as she tasted the imagined victory of her scheme.

Avery’s amber eyes flickered toward Ewing, her maternal instincts screaming for Madison’s safety.

Ewing, scenting her rising panic, reached out to steady her. "Steady, Avery. Madison’s voice is not lost. Her throat was scorched by the silver-taint, but the healers believe her wolf’s vitality will mend the tissue in time. Though we breached the den late, we were fast...