The captive was already in the lower holding room by the time we reached the pack house cellars.
He was young, lean, and trained enough to keep his face blank even with both wrists secured and two of Torren’s wolves watching him at close range. A shallow cut ran along his jaw where the interception had turned physical. He smelled of forest, cold metal, and the same carefully masked route signature we had been tracking.
Asher entered first. The temperature in the room seemed to drop with him. I followed and took a position to the side, close enough to read every reaction, far enough not to interfere with the authority he carried into the space.
Torren gave a short report without being asked. “Caught near the new eastern marker. Partner ran the moment contact was made. This one tried to f
