Chapter 51 Retreat

• THE PACK’S CHEERS of acceptance still echoed in the night air as Selene and Waldemar stood before them, their bond a radiant, undeniable force. Adler had knelt, the pack had followed, and a new era had dawned. But as the crowd began to disperse, a shadow detached itself from the edge of the forest, moving with a fluid grace that was both familiar and unsettling.
• It was Cassian.
• He walked into the clearing, his silver hair a pale streak in the moonlight, his features sharp and elegant. His usual confident smirk was gone, replaced by a quiet intensity as he watched Selene and Waldemar. A wave of unease rippled through the pack as they saw him. He was a known neutral party, a powerful, ancient vampire who had always kept his distance, but his presence was a chilling reminder of the world’s dangers.