The new year began with anxiety, with most of the Cove's pups disappearing into the frigid winter. With large prey animals falling to the cold, the wolves of Sanguine Cove worried their pups couldn't survive without the pack den to keep them warm at night. Just when it seemed tragedy had struck, the missing trickled back one by one - with another familiar face. Kajika returned to the Cove, much to Moonshadow and Chan's delight.

As winter began to fade, Sanguine Cove and their steadfast allies Dead Empress Backwater made their annual pup exchange, with the Backwater hosting first and then sending their two participating young ones, Sephrina and Isla, up the mountainside. Only one would make the return trip. As the visually-impaired Sephrina wandered the lakeside she disturbed a bear, woken early from hibernation, and ran onto the ice. Isla witnessed her sister break through - and never rise again. She fled the mountain even as Chan rushed to try in vain to save Sephrina's life.

Nash delivered the news to Viorel, who vowed the alliance between the two packs was over. Chan and Auburn returned Sephrina's body to her home, and Chan took the blame for her death in an attempt to shift it away from the Cove. He said he was being ousted as a result. Nash was furious when Chan told him what he'd done and though he didn't banish his brother, the leader told him it might be best if Chan didn't return to the Cove as a member. When the eldest Eastfall left for Paradise Falls with Flair and Auburn, it was for the last time. The former members of Fool's Gold Chasm soon followed suit.

Spring gave the pack the blessing of a single pup: Eclypse, born to Nash and Aquene. She was lively and it seemed that the curse upon the mountain may have lifted - until Marigold arrived on their borders shouting for help, that Auburn had been pushed over a ledge by a mountain goat. The mountain had claimed another life.

The Cove's bad luck didn't let up as the year wore on. In a disturbing mirror to Aleister the year before, Nash fell ill and had to step down from leadership, leaving Aquene to take his place. When he recovered enough to return to his role, she remained a leader at his side.

Magg and Leo were selected to make an emissary trip to Paradise Falls and establish an friendship with them. Before they returned a heavy smoke fell over the Lore. Everyone was affected, struggling to breathe and perform ordinary day to day tasks. Eclypse and Moonshadow were hit the hardest, mostly remaining confined to the pack den for the duration of the summer. During this time Aquene stepped down to better perform her duties as Shaman, and yet another new face appears: Tulip, an old member of Fallen Tree Cove, has come back to find her old friend Moonshadow, who is delighted to see her again.

This new member was traded for another, however, as Stella left to seek her absent younger siblings and didn't return. Leo asks to learn how to better fight as he pursues a guardian role to protect his pack from further tragedy...

... which comes knocking at their door in the form of one Archer Valle, now having renounced his name and toting his daughter with Kateri. Aquene learns not only of her daughter's disappearance but of the death of a grandson whom she never got to meet.

The Cove experiences even further loss as Oksana, their long-time former leader, vanishes without a word and takes with her even more of her litter. Nash himself makes a trip to Paradise Falls to meet with his brother and, hopefully, find some of their missing members. He returns home empty-handed, and allows Leo and Magg to make their own excursion to seek as the snows grow ever heavier.

Right after the pair leaves, Tulip wanders away from the territory and passes peacefully on, curled in the old Fallen Tree Cove den. Nash finds her and Eclypse is close behind, asking questions and learning about the reality of mortality.

The year closes out with Magg and Leo failing to return, and now all three of Nash and Aquene's first litter are missing. Maybe Chan was right about that curse after all...