Damon eased off the accelerator, the heavy armored Suburban slowing as it passed through the towering wrought-iron gates of the main settlement. The massive tires crunched softly against the gravel, a rhythmic sound that did nothing to soothe the tension in the cab. From the backseat, Elder Thorpe and Elder Horne stared out the tinted windows, their expressions carefully neutral, but their sharp eyes were cataloging everything.
The Blackwood territory wasn't just surviving. It was thriving. It was a community in magnificent, undeniable bloom.
Everywhere they looked, the sprawling estate pulsed with a vibrant stability that most Alpha leaders only saw in their wildest, most desperate dreams. Near the treeline, a pack of young, shifting pups chased each other through the tall grass, their
