The wind bit cold along the northern ridge, carrying the scent of pine, wet earth, and the faint copper tang of distant blood. Crystal and Dustin rode side by side, their horses’ hooves crunching against the gravel path that traced Bloodstone’s border. Beneath them, scouts had already spread out, moving like shadows along the tree line, their movements coordinated through mindlink—silent, instantaneous, and efficient.
“Rogue sightings have increased,” Dustin said quietly, his eyes scanning the horizon where the forest met the fading light. “But they’re erratic—almost like they’re testing us, not attacking.”
Crystal’s hand rested lightly on her stomach, where Bree stirred beneath her skin. Her wolf was tense, sensing ripples in the air that the human mind could not yet perceive. “Somethin
