The afternoon silence was broken by the alarm bell's piercing clang, which reverberated throughout the thick woodland. I stopped in my tracks, my heart pounding.
Kael mumbled, "Trouble," next to me, his eyes narrowing as he looked toward the pack's boundary.
I took a step toward him. "What sort of trouble?"
"Rogue wolf," he replied, growling in his voice. "And they're posing a challenge, not just passing through."
Wolves started to congregate, and a murmur went through the pack. Their anxiety and uneasiness were palpable to me. I took a deep breath. This was no ordinary training session or clearinghouse sparring battle. This actually happened.
Kael turned to face me, his golden eyes angry, before I could ask him any more questions. "Remain back, Lola. Let me take care of this.
I felt
