The valley slowly returned to life after Eira's revelation spread through the pack like wind through the pines.
Lena sat near the large fire pit while several curious wolves watched from a cautious distance. The warmth of the flames did little to settle the storm of thoughts spinning inside her mind.
Kael approached carrying a wooden cup. "Tea," he said, offering it to her. "It helps calm the nerves."
Lena accepted it gratefully. "Everything tonight feels impossible," she admitted. "Witches, wolves, prophecies… none of this should be real."
Kael crouched beside her. "I know it feels overwhelming," he said. "But what happened in the forest proves something powerful lives inside you."
She stared into the tea as steam curled upward. "What if I can't control it?" she asked quietly.
"Then we help you learn," Kael replied. "The pack protects its own."
Across the clearing Eira spoke quietly with several elders. Their expressions looked tense as they glanced toward the surrounding forest.
Lena noticed the unease. "Something else is wrong, isn't it?"
Kael followed her gaze.
"The witches who attacked you were scouts," he said. "If Selene sent them, she already knows you're here."
Lena felt a chill despite the fire's heat.
"So what happens now?"
Kael met her eyes steadily.
"Now we prepare for war before the witches reach Blackwood."