Alliances did not begin with handshakes.
They began with watching.
The visiting wolves were given space along the southern edge of the territory—close enough to be seen, far enough to breathe. Not prisoners. Not pack.
Not yet.
Alden and Rowan oversaw the arrangement together, a quiet test of the balance they had been building.
“They’re nervous,” Alden murmured as they observed the newcomers setting up temporary shelters.
“They should be,” Rowan replied. “New ground always feels like thin ice.”
Alden nodded. “We make it steady, not slippery.”
Rowan glanced at him. “You really think this can work?”
“I think they’re tired,” Alden said. “Tired wolves don’t start wars.”
Rowan studied the visitors again.
“You’re more trusting than I am,” he admitted.
Alden shrugged. “You’re more caut
