Chapter 84 What We Failed To Bury

• Kieran P.O.V.
• Something is wrong before we even reach the center of the pack lands. It isn’t obvious at first, not something I can point to right away, but it settles in like a storm before it breaks. The air feels heavier, the territory’s usual rhythm just slightly off, as if something has shifted beneath the surface and hasn’t settled back into place. The others feel it too, even if no one says it outright, and that alone is enough to keep me alert.
• The pack moves differently as we pass through, quieter than usual, more aware of us than they should be. It isn’t fear, not exactly, but it’s close enough that I don’t ignore it. They’re watching, not just because we came back from the forest, but because something about us feels different. That thought settles heavier than I want it to, and my attention shifts immediately to Amelia.