The afternoon settled heavily upon the training grounds of Regina territory, and though the sun still burned bright above the forest ridges the air carried a strange weight that pressed against every wolf standing within the wide stone ring where countless battles had once been fought for dominance and honor.
Two lines of murmuring voices spread through the gathered pack.
Something was coming.
Something inevitable.
Victor Salazar stood near the center of the ring with his arms folded tightly across his chest while his eyes scanned the restless wolves forming a loose circle around the arena, and the faint tension in his shoulders betrayed the instinct of a Beta who could already feel trouble moving closer like a storm gathering beyond the hills.
"Hmm."
He exhaled slowly.
"Here we go."
Across the ring a tall figure stepped forward from the outer crowd.
