MY EX-MATE IS BACK!

AUTHOR’S POV 

They were moving in a loose formation along the road, some carrying weapons while others appeared to be supporting injured companions. Several vehicles followed behind them, but their condition was poor. One had a cracked windshield, and another dragged a damaged bumper that scraped against the road.

The group looked exhausted.

That did not make them harmless.

"How many?" Elena asked.

The sentry counted quickly.

"At least twenty warriors. More people in the vehicles. I can't see everyone clearly."

"Are there signs of infection?"

"Not from this distance."

"Keep watching. If anyone shows symptoms, I want to know immediately."

Garrick arrived beside her.

"They could be refugees."

"They could also be raiders pretending to be refugees."

"What do you want us to do?"

Elena studied the approaching group.

She had learned that desperation could make even decent people dangerous. Hungry wolves became reckless. Frightened families sometimes turned against one another. And those who had lost everything could convince themselves that taking from someone else was the only way to survive.

She would not put Haven at risk simply because the strangers looked tired.

"Sound the alarm. Bring the patrols to the gates, but tell everyone to remain behind the inner barricade. No one fires unless I give the order."

"And if they try to force their way in?"

"Then we defend Haven."

Garrick nodded and hurried away.

Elena descended from the watchtower and crossed the settlement toward the northern entrance. Survivors emerged from their shelters as the alarm spread. Some carried hunting bows, others had knives or makeshift spears. Lydia ushered the children into the largest reinforced building, while Nora helped Finn move away from the windows.

Elena stopped beside the gates.

"Keep the entrance closed until we know who they are," she told the guards. "No one opens it without my order."

One of the younger sentries swallowed nervously.

"What if they're from a powerful pack?"

"Then they can tell us who they are from the other side of the gate."

"And if their Alpha demands entry?"

Elena looked at him.

"Being an Alpha doesn't give anyone the right to endanger the people who live here."

The words came naturally now.

Three years ago, she might have hesitated before challenging a powerful wolf. She might have worried about offending someone who could punish her for speaking out of turn.

But Haven had taught her something Blackthorn never had.

Leadership was not about making everyone afraid to disagree with you. It was about making decisions you could live with, even when people disliked them.

Elena approached the narrow viewing gap in the gate.

The strangers had stopped several dozen yards away.

Their warriors looked ready for a fight, but their formation lacked the discipline of a well-rested pack. Some held their weapons too tightly. Others struggled to remain upright. A few had bandages wrapped around their arms and heads.

Elena's gaze moved over their faces, searching for any sign of familiarity.

Then she saw the silver insignia on the chest of the man standing at their center.

A black wolf surrounded by a ring of silver.

Her fingers went cold.

No.

She leaned closer to the gap.

The man stood slightly ahead of the others, his shoulders broad beneath a torn black shirt. His dark hair was disheveled, and stubble shadowed his jaw. There was dried blood on his sleeve and a deep exhaustion in the lines of his face.

But she knew that posture.

She knew the shape of his shoulders, the way he held his head, and the commanding stillness that had once made an entire ceremonial ground fall silent when he entered.

She knew him.

Even after three years, she knew him.

Kaiden Blackthorn.