Aldric POV
The hotel smelled wrong.
Not bad — just unfamiliar in a way that made Aldric’s wolf restless beneath his skin the moment he stepped through the glass doors. The air carried traces of polished wood, brewed coffee, detergent, and faint human scents layered over the subtle thread of pack territory.
It felt contained. Controlled.
Nothing like the open forests of Silver Ridge where every breath tasted like pine and earth and freedom.
Aldric paused just inside the entrance, letting the doors slide shut behind him with a soft whisper. Rain clouds hung low outside, the sky heavy and gray, casting the lobby in muted afternoon light.
Around him, members of his pack filtered in with quiet efficiency — Betas checking in, enforcers scanning the space with practiced awareness. The Alpha
