Elara POV
The first thing that strikes me isn’t the presence of the northern wolves.
It’s where they are.
We crest the rise at speed, feet striking packed earth in unison with the patrols converging from either side, and the shift that runs through our pack reaches me before the full scene even comes into view. The land itself feels different up here, the quiet of the evening replaced by something sharper, a tension that runs through every wolf standing inside our borders.
When my eyes settle on the shapes ahead, the truth lands immediately.
The northern wolves are not near the boundary. They are not hovering where mistakes might be argued. They are deep inside our territory. Far enough that coincidence has no place left to hide.
“This wasn’t an accident,” I growl quietly.
The words
