~LYRA'S POV~
The smoke was still rising when the full report came in.
I was in Ryland's study when Cade delivered it, standing near the window with my arms crossed because standing felt more manageable than sitting down. Ryland sat at his desk. Cade stood in front of it with a single page in his hand that he'd read twice before bringing it in, which I could tell from the way he held it.
It wasn't Moonveil.
It was Ashfen, a small settlement sitting just before Moonveil's southern border. Close enough to fall within Eren's sphere of influence but technically independent, no formal alliance with any of the three major packs. About sixty wolves. Mostly families, some warriors, the kind of community that had existed for generations in that particular corner of the territory without causing anyone trouble and without expecting any in return.
Selara hit them anyway.
