ANMELDENChristina’s POVThey didn’t leave defeated.They left deciding.Two days since the border meeting. The pack moved through routines with heightened vigilance. Patrols doubled. Guards rotated faster. Everyone watching the tree line.But something felt wrong.Not outside.Inside.I stood in the strategy room, reviewing patrol reports with Kael.“Nothing unusual,” he said. “No movement. No watchers. They pulled back completely.”“That bothers me.”“Me too.” He looked up. “They’re either regrouping or”The door burst open.Finn. Face pale.“Caleb’s been attacked.”Everything stopped.“Where?” I demanded.“His quarters. Two attackers. He’s alive but”I was already moving.Caleb’s room was chaos.Overturned furniture. Blood on the floor. Sarah works frantically over Caleb’s body.He was conscious. Barely.Deep wound across his chest. Poison-tipped blade by the smell.“Status,” I said, forcing my voice steady.“Stabilizing,” Sarah reported. Voice tight. “But the poison… it’s the same type tha
Christina’s POVThey came at dawn.Not attacking.Just… arriving.I stood at the territory border, watching them emerge from the forest. Fifty wolves spread across the tree line. Organized. Disciplined. Confidence.Behind me, our wolves waited in formation.Kael stood slightly to my right. Close enough to support. Far enough to show I led.Finn and Sera flanked the formation. Caleb stood farther back present but protected.The visual was intentional.I was the center.Not by force.By choice.The approaching wolves stopped thirty feet away.A smaller group separated from the main force. Five wolves. All radiating authority.Different scents. Different energies. Different packs.This wasn’t a single alpha.This was a delegation.The center wolf stepped forward first. Older. Gray streaked his dark fur when he shifted back to human form. Calm eyes. Calculating.“So,” he said. Voice measured. “You’re the one.”Not hostile. Not respectful.Evaluating.I didn’t respond immediately.Just hel
Christina’s POVWinning didn’t end anything.It exposed them.Three days since Vax’s exile. The pack was rebuilding. Walls repaired. Wounded healing. Routines forming.But something felt different.Not wrong exactly.Just… waiting.Wolves moved through the compound with purpose, but their eyes kept drifting to the forest. Guards rotated more frequently. Patrols reported back faster.Everyone was watching.Not each other anymore.What was outside.I stood at the western perimeter, studying the tree line.Nothing visible.But I felt it anyway.*They’re out there,* Kyros said quietly.“I know.”*Watching. Measuring.*“I know that too.”Kael appeared beside me. “Scout just returned. Northern border.”“And?”“More of them. At least three different groups now.”My jaw tightened. “Organized?”“Yes. Different scents. Different packs.” He paused. “They’re not hiding, Christina. They want us to know they’re there.”“How many total?”“Twenty. Maybe more. Spread across the borders.”Not an attack
Christina’s POVThis wasn’t about winning.It was about ending something.The battlefield was silent now. Bodies buried. Smoke fading. Wolves moved through the grounds slowly, carefully, like they weren’t sure what came next.Because they weren’t.I stood near the main hall, watching. The alpha platform where Caleb’s father used to stand, where Vax had claimed authority sat empty.No one approached it.No one knew who should.Kael appeared beside me. “They’re waiting.”“I know.”“For you.”“I know that too.”Around us, wolves moved without clear direction. Guards patrolled but their routes were uncertain. Supply distribution happened but slowly, inefficiently.The system had collapsed.And nothing had replaced it yet.Finn approached, exhaustion lining his face. “We need to organize patrols. Assign guard rotations. Figure out resource distribution.”“So do it,” I said.He blinked. “I… need authorization.”“From who?”“From…” He trailed off. Look at me.I shook my head. “I’m not giving
Christina’s POVHe’s not leading anymore.He’s holding on.The reports came in steadily throughout the morning. Vax’s wolves were fracturing. Some defect to our side. Others are going rogue, dangerous, unpredictable.His control was collapsing.But a cornered animal was still dangerous.Maybe more dangerous.I stood in the strategy room, studying the map. Red markers showing Vax’s last known positions. Fewer than before. Concentrated.Desperate.Kael appeared beside me. “Three more defectors overnight. They say Vax is barely holding it together.”“That’s when he’s most dangerous.”“I know.” Kael pointed to a cluster of red markers. “He’s pulled everyone back to the central territory. Fortified position.”“Or trap.”“Probably both.”Finn burst in, face pale. “We have a problem.”My stomach dropped. “What?”“Vax took Sarah. The healer.”Everything went cold.“When?”“Two hours ago. Pre-dawn raid. Fast. Surgical.” Finn’s jaw was tight. “He left a message.”He handed me a note.I unfolded
Christina’s POVThis wasn’t about winning.This was about catching what shouldn’t be there.Night had fallen. The false convoy moved through the eastern corridor exactly as planned.Six wolves. Two vehicles. Supplies marked as critical.All bait.I watched from a concealed position fifty yards away. Kael beside me. Finn coordinating backup teams in the shadows.Everything is too precise. Too clean.Exactly what we wanted.*Patience,* Kyros said. *Let them expose themselves.*“I know.”The convoy reached the checkpoint. Guards rotated. Movement synchronized.Professional.Almost too professional.Kael tensed beside me. “There.”I followed his gaze.One guard Marcus, not the young Marcus, a different one shifted slightly out of position. Subtle. Deliberate.Opening a sight line.“That’s our traitor,” Kael said quietly.Before I could respond, movement erupted from the tree line.Vax’s wolves.Hitting exactly where the false plan said they would.Perfect timing.Perfect positioning.Conf







