***Moraines POV***
My nerves were on edge as I waited for our prisoner to be brought before us for questioning and punishment. The disappearances of children had been increasing this past year with no leads until now. After scouring both the land and dream realms, we finally caught a lead from a pack in California.
One of their warriors had been walking through alleyways after leaving a bar, seeking relief from a grueling day of training. She encountered a man whose scent marked him as neither human nor any known species. This stranger was luring a homeless boy—no more than six years old—toward him.
She witnessed the man cast a spell that rendered the child unconscious in his arms. The warrior attacked immediately, protecting the child while engaging the predator. When the stranger reta
