Chapter 33. The Alpha’s Return

Dylan’s POV

The air was heavy with the scent of ash and despair as I walked through the remnants of the Pack’s main village. The scars of war were everywhere; charred wood, shattered windows, and the low murmurs of people trying to rebuild their lives.

My people.

They looked at me with a mixture of hope and hesitation, as if they weren’t sure whether to trust the Alpha fate had thrust upon them.

I wasn’t sure if I trusted myself.

The woods had been unforgiving. My muscles still ached from days of constant movement, my body a road map of cuts and bruises earned from navigating dense undergrowth and rocky terrain.

Pausing by a tree, I leaned against its rough bark and allowed myself a brief reprieve. The wind whispered through the branches above, carrying the scent of earth and pine. It was quiet now, but the stillness unnerved me more than the chaos of battle ever had.

Avery’s face flashed in my mind, unbidden. Her green eyes, fiery an