The attack came three days after the dinner.
I was in the garden, my refuge, the one place I could think without the bond pulling at me like a leash, when the alarm went up.
Howls. Frantic. Afraid.
"Rogues! East border!"
I was on my feet before the echo died.
Old instincts. Muscle memory. Five years of survival kicking in faster than thought.
Around me, pack members were shifting. The air filled with the sounds of tearing fabric and breaking bones as wolves emerged. The scent of adrenaline and fear, thick and metallic.
Kade burst out of the house, already halfway through his shift.
His eyes found mine across the garden.
And I felt his command through the bond. Not words, just pure alpha will, crashing into me like a wave.
Stay here. Stay safe.
Then he was gone.
A massive black
