The night didn’t feel like night anymore.
It felt… watched.
Not by gods.
Not by ancient forces.
By the pack.
Denise noticed it the moment the silence shifted.
Eyes lingered too long.
Whispers followed her steps.
Not fear exactly.
Not anymore.
Uncertainty.
Liam stayed close beside her as they walked through the outer ridge of the territory. His presence alone kept most of the tension from snapping into something sharper, but it didn’t erase it.
It only contained it.
For now.
“You feel it too,” Denise said quietly.
Liam didn’t look at her.
“Yes.”
That one word carried weight.
Because it wasn’t about the bond anymore.
It was about the pack.
They were no longer just observers.
They were deciding.
A wolf stepped into their path.
Then another.
And another.
Within moments
