Marcus's laughter cut through the tense silence like a blade. The sound was all wrong, too many notes at once, a reminder that he was no longer the werewolf he'd been born as.
"Bravo," he said, slow-clapping as he surveyed the battlefield. "Truly, bravo. What a touching display of unity. Your children must be so proud, Davion, Maximus."
"What are you talking about?" Maximus demanded, moving forward. Several Bloodclaw warriors moved with him, ready to strike.
"I'm talking about this." Marcus gestured to the clearing, to the mingled packs, to Moonshadows and Bloodclaws standing together. "This was just a test, you see. A demonstration. We needed to know if the prophecy could actually be fulfilled. If your precious heirs could truly unite the packs."
"A test?" Davion's voice was dangerous. "You killed our people for a test?"
