Natalie's POV
We left at dusk. Thirty wolves. Two alphas. One Sovereign. And an ancient elder who looked like she could crumble into dust at any moment. The sky bled orange and purple as we moved through the city streets. Silent. Focused. Every wolf carried supplies on its back. Every face was set with grim determination.
The first night we made camp in an abandoned factory on the edge of Blackwood territory. No one spoke much. We ate dried meat and stale bread.
Drank water from canteen bottles. Xander posted guards around the perimeter. Kade studied his grandfather's journals by firelight. I sat between them and tried not to think about what waited for us in the north.
Through the bond, I felt their worry. Their fear. But also their resolve. We were in this together. All three of us.
