The moon was low in the sky by the time we returned from the border, but its silvery glow still filtered through the trees, casting long shadows on the forest floor. The unfamiliar scent of the creatures we had spotted lingered in the air, heavy and unsettling. I could still feel the weight of their presence, as if they were watching us from the darkness, waiting.
We hadn’t engaged them—yet. There were too many unknowns, and I wasn’t about to risk an all-out confrontation until I knew more. But the fact that they had been spotted with rogues meant that they weren’t just passing through. They had a purpose, and it was connected to us.
As we neared the pack house, I could sense the unease radiating from the wolves around me. Even Ethan, who was normally calm and collected, looked tense, hi
