FAZER LOGINLyra’s POV “You really think you’ll find something the trackers missed?”Donovan’s voice carried over the steady rhythm of hooves as we rode the narrow ridge trail. I didn’t answer immediately. My eyes stayed on the ground ahead of us, where the trail curved around the rocks.“Maybe,” I said at last.Faolan rode just behind my back and snorted softly. “That’s a polite way of saying yes.”Lilith glanced toward me from the other side of the path. “You’re confident for someone who’s never seen the site.” “I’ve seen enough places like it,” I replied.Donovan shifted in the saddle, studying the ridge ahead of us. “Rylan already sent trackers.” “Trackers look for trails,” I said. “I’m looking for something far more serious.”That earned a quiet look from him.Faolan leaned forward slightly over her horse’s neck. “Now that sounds interesting.”Lilith rolled her eyes. “Or cryptic.”The trail narrowed as we climbed higher along the ridge. Trees thinned, leaving patches of exposed stone whe
Alpha Kael’s POV “Seal the eastern pass immediately.” The order left my mouth before the body of the fallen warrior had even been lifted from the ground.Rylan did not hesitate. He turned toward the waiting wolves, his voice carrying across the clearing.“You heard him. Eastern pass should be closed, now! Double the patrols on the ridge and move the relay posts back to the lower trail.” The warriors scattered immediately, boots striking hard against the packed earth as they moved to their mounts. Nightfang did not waste time with confusion. Orders were given once and followed without argument.That was the difference between a pack that survived and one that didn’t.I watched the riders disappear into the trees before turning back to the table where the patrol markers lay scattered.The relay wolf had died with his blood still on his hands. And his last words had not left my mind. “They knew our route.”Rylan stepped beside me, his expression grim as he adjusted one of the markers
“Alpha, something is wrong with the northern relay route.”The words left my mouth before I fully crossed the clearing.Kael had been speaking quietly with Rylan beside the long table that held the patrol markers. Several warriors stood nearby waiting for instructions, the usual low movement of the staging ground surrounding them, wolves tightening saddle straps, checking weapons, preparing to leave for the afternoon rotation.My voice cut through it.Kael looked up.Rylan turned at the same moment, his hand still resting on one of the wooden markers.For a heartbeat, neither of them spoke.Then Kael said, “What did you see?”I stepped closer to the table and pointed to the ridge marker carved into the wood.“The eastern relay post should have been reset at dawn. It wasn’t. The marker was moved, and the spacing between the last two patrol signals doesn’t match the schedule you posted yesterday.”Rylan frowned slightly. “That patrol left before sunrise.”“That’s why I noticed it,” I sa
“Have you noticed the eastern patrol hasn’t reported yet?” Faolan’s voice was sharp, low enough that only I could hear over the whispering wind threading through the trees. She crouched beside me, ears twitching, nostrils flaring as if catching secrets I couldn’t.I followed her gaze toward the ridge. “They left two hours ago. They should have circled back by now.” My pulse ticked faster. not fear exactly, but anticipation, that prickling sense of an imbalance I couldn’t ignore. I had spent two years sharpening instincts like this. Every missing step mattered.Lilith padded closer, her boots silent. “I saw Donovan double back earlier. Something was off. He didn’t look right.” She frowned, eyes narrowing, lips pressing together. “You think it’s scouts? Or…” Her voice trailed, leaving the thought unfinished. I shook my head slowly. “Something’s happening, but it’s not obvious. Not yet. Observe first.” I crouched lower, scanning the sparse foliage, noting every branch out of place, ever
“Do you really think he’d do that?” I asked, nudging a log into place beside the training ring. My fingers were still raw from yesterday’s exercises, but I needed something to focus on.Falon chuckled, tossing a small bundle of rope over his shoulder. “Do what?”“Just… punish someone without reason,” I muttered, glancing around. “I’ve seen Alphas in my time. They’re cruel, ruthless, nothing like…” I trailed off, not finishing the thought.Lilith leaned against the wooden railing, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “Kael? You mean our Alpha?” “Yes,” I admitted, voice quieter than I intended. “The one everyone says is… fair.”Falon smirked, shaking his head. “Fair? He’s more than that. He sees things before they happen. He doesn’t just react—he guides, teaches, protects. Don’t let the stories fool you; it’s not weakness. It’s control, and it’s why the pack trusts him.”I swallowed, a bitter twist in my chest. Control. Protects. Those weren’t words I’d ever associated with the man who’d destr
Magnus’s POV“Two years,” Magnus snapped, his voice cutting through the dim, torchlit hall. “Two years, and she’s still alive!”The spy before him swallowed hard, kneeling on the cold stone floor. “Alpha… the girl… she…she survived. Our scouts—”“Survived?” Magnus’s silver eyes flared, ice meeting fire. His fist slammed the table between them, rattling the cups and maps. “Survived? Do you have any idea what that means? She should have been mine the night Silvercrest burned to the ground!”The spy flinched. “We did everything as you instructed, Alpha. Every perimeter monitored, every pass accounted for, and yet—”“Yet what?” Magnus cut in, pacing, every movement sharply, deliberately, a predator on the hunt. “She’s alive. Two years of planning, two years of patience, and your oversight allowed her to breathe, to move, to grow stronger.” His voice was low, dangerous, each word a blade.The spy bowed further, whispering, “Forgive me, Alpha. We underestimated her. Her skill… It’s unlike a







