POV: Alex
The estate gates slammed shut behind us with a deep metallic clang, and I felt the sound rattle in my chest like a warning bell. The rogues were gone, but their scent still clung to the forest behind us—sweat, blood, and old fear. I had wanted to chase them farther, to teach them the meaning of trespassing on my land, but Mia was shaking beside me.
And this time, she wasn’t pretending.
Her eyes were glassy. Her breathing was shallow. Her shirt clung to her like a second skin, damp with sweat, dirt smudged along one shoulder. She hadn’t said a word since I pulled her away from the clearing.
The guards at the gate didn’t ask questions. They knew better.
“Get everyone inside,” I barked as we passed them. “No patrols tonight. Triple-lock the perimeter.”
The two nearest wolves s
