The parchment was still damp with blood when it reached Ironfang territory.
Cain had made sure of that.
The message—crudely scrawled in sharp, red ink across the stretched hide of an enemy scout—was nothing short of a declaration of war.
"Three of your own. Slaughtered without trial. Let this be your reward for crossing Alpha Rayne Valen."
It was a lie, of course. The truth was more complicated. But Cain didn’t need the truth. He needed fury. He needed chaos.
And as the Ironfang warriors read the message aloud in the heart of their war camp, he saw exactly what he wanted reflected in their eyes—rage.
Snarls broke out.
Shouts filled the air.
Beta Roth slammed his fist against a tree trunk, cracking the bark. “She dares butcher our warriors and mock us?”
Another warrior spat on the
