The first snow of the deep winter had fallen, layering the Carpathians in pure, silent white. It was a canvas, and upon it the story of the forest was written in clear, unshakeable detail. For the perimeter patrols of Lupus Haven, it was also a warning system.
Finn found the initial print. Not on the formal patrol line but on a treacherous, rocky ridgeline that was thought to be impassable. The print was deep, large, and unmistakably lupine. But it was wrong. The claw marks were longer, more extended than their own. The weight distribution was off—heavier in the front quarters, the mark of a build designed for raw power instead of endurance. It was the track of a stranger. Here is the rewritten text in the proper format:.
He did not issue a general alert. An alert was for a threat detect
