The night air was heavy, thick with the lingering scent of blood and sweat from the recent battle. My body ached in ways I hadn’t felt in years. Every muscle protested as I moved, but I pushed the pain aside. The pack needed me, and there was no room for weakness. Not now.
Ethan stood by my side, his brow furrowed in concentration as he surveyed the aftermath. The rogues had retreated, but it didn’t feel like a victory. Something was wrong, deeply wrong. It was in the way the rogues had attacked—chaotic yet calculated. Almost as if they were testing us.
“Alpha,” Ethan’s voice broke through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present. He only called me “Alpha” when things were serious. His usual easygoing nature was gone, replaced by the hard edge of a seasoned warrior. “We need to regrou
