Jake's POV
The air was shifting.
Even before the howls shattered the morning, before the scent of blood and fear curled through the trees, I felt it coming.
Brielle had done everything right.
She had taken control of the patrols, settled the unsteady wolves, and given the pack something to hold onto while I dealt with the storm circling us.
But no amount of preparation could have stopped what was coming.
Because Arthur didn’t play fair.
And he never struck without making sure it hurt.
The first sign was the silence.
The birds, the rustling trees, even the usual stir of life beyond the borders,gone.
Then, the screams.
It was near the western edge,one of the newly organized patrol routes. The place Brielle had carefully reinforced, making sure we had enough warriors watching the
