Samuel

Samuel POV:

The moment the clock struck midnight, a piercing howl erupted in my mind. It wasn't just a howl; it was a cry, a scream of anguish that shook me to my core. Beside me, Cameron recoiled as if struck, his eyes wide with the same torment I felt.

"It's midnight," Cameron muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief and something darker, something like despair. "It's her birthday, Sam. It's Lyla's birthday today, and our wolves are—"

"In agony," I finished for him. "As if a part of them—of us—has been violently ripped away."

The room we were in, usually a haven of strategy and planning, seemed to close in on us. The charts and maps spread out across the table faded into insignificance. Faces of council members turned toward us, concern etching their features, but their expressions were a blur. All I could hear was the persistent howl of my wolf, a haunting melody of pain and loss.

"We know it's Lyla's birthday," I said, my eyes meeting Cameron's. "But why would that cause our wolv