The war room filled quickly after the scout left to summon the patrol captains, and by the time the first of the senior warriors arrived the air already felt thick with tension and the smell of damp forest and stale coffee.
I stayed near the map table while Ezra moved quietly around the room adjusting markers along the eastern border, and the slow deliberate movements of his hands made it obvious he was thinking through half a dozen problems at once.
Christopher’s wolves were gathering. The pack was dividing. And the Alpha challenge was three days away. None of those things made a good combination.
The door opened again and Declan stepped inside followed by three patrol captains who still had dirt on their boots and the sharp scent of pine clinging to their jackets.
“Everyone is on the
