The moment I stepped over the threshold, I felt the hum of the barrier snap against my skin like a reprimand—soft, but undeniable.
Old magic. Protective.
I should’ve waited outside. Should’ve requested entry. But I hadn’t.
Because she was inside. And I’d felt her pain scream through the bond like wildfire, and there was no force in any realm that could’ve stopped me from getting to her.
As I pulled on the clothes Alpha Jack had left folded at the tree line, the door creaked open.
Alpha Jack stood there, arms crossed but not hostile. Watching. Calculating.
I dipped my head. “I apologize. I crossed your barrier in wolf form. I know I should’ve waited for an invitation.”
He studied me for a long beat, then nodded once.
“You came for her. Not to challenge. Consider it forgiven.”
Besid
