Kael’s POV
The forest stank of decay.
Rotting wood, abandoned cabins, and the sour scent of dead animals clung to the air so thickly it coated my lungs. My head throbbed, pain pulsing behind my eyes as I struggled to make sense of where I was.
My thoughts were scattered.
The last thing I remembered was the Alpha party. The laughter. The food. Then a call from an unknown number. The voice on the line had sounded urgent, strange. They told me to step outside the hall completely, said it concerned pack security.
I went.
I should not have.
They were already waiting for me. Large men. Muscular. Masked. At first, I did not realize what they were until they lunged for me. I fought back on instinct, claws slashing, strength roaring through my veins. But then eve
