Time suspended. Kael Fenris was frozen in the corridor's harsh red light, a statue caught between two waves. Before him, the snarling, lupine fury of the Shattered Fang, led by the arrogant Vorak. Behind him, the semicircle of unyielding, black-clad warriors—the Aegis Initiative—their whining guns relentless, their position radiating deadly, unemotional proficiency. The air, heavy with the scents of ozone, blood, and wolf, was now flavored with the antiseptic, metallic scent of advanced human technology.
Vorak's grin expanded as he watched Kael's comprehension shatter. "You believed this was a border dispute? A conflict between packs?" He snorted in revulsion. "We're merely the. enticement. The pointed stick pushes you into the true trap."
The commanding Aegis soldier moved forward once
