NERO POV
I heard it first.
Movement. Behind us. Too careful to be an animal. Too clumsy to be a trained guard.
Someone was following us.
I stopped walking. Held up my hand.
Manuel and Abel stopped immediately.
"What?" Abel asked.
"We're being followed."
I turned. Looked at the forest behind us. "I know you're there. Come out. Now."
Silence.
Then. A voice. Flat. Precise.
"Dark Alpha Nero. Beta Abel. Alpha Manuel. I have been following for two hours. Nineteen minutes. Forty-seven seconds. Forty-eight seconds. Forty-nine seconds."
Mitch stepped out from behind a tree.
"Mitch?" Manuel stared. "What the f**k are you doing here?"
"Following. Alpha Manuel." Mitch looked at Manuel's shoulder. Not his face. "You left at dawn. Zero five forty-three hours. I waited twelve minutes. Then
