FORTY-THREE | LEAVES AND BERRIES

I stared at Samyak, wide eyed and scared. From his expression I could tell that whatever news he had to share with me was not good.

“What is it?” I asked softly, running the pads of my fingertips across the backs of his knuckles.

He took a deep breath, as though he was steeling himself.

“Our patrols found a dead wolf, Ari. It was a rogue.”

“A rogue?” I repeated, feeling my eyebrows knot together. “What does that mean?”

“We can’t be sure. But I think it means that you were right – that they were working for someone else, most likely the hunters. It could be infighting, or…”

“Or they could be taking them out from the top down,” I finished, frowning.

“Or,” Samyak continued, his eyes steely, “it could be a warning. A threat. The only thing that we know for sure if that the danger still exists, and you were lucky to get away once. I don’t want to risk you being caught again.”

“You won’t have to,” I said firmly. “We’re safe. It could be nothing more than a scrap between two rogues that have