It wasn’t curiosity.
It was judgment.
We were led to the largest structure at the center of the settlement, and when the doors opened, the shift in atmosphere was immediate. Warmth wrapped around us, thick with the scent of wood smoke and something herbal that lingered in the air.
And waiting inside—
Them.
The Alpha and Luna.
Thoren stepped forward slightly, his posture relaxed but unmistakably dominant.
“You’re the acting Alpha of—”
“Yes,” the man interrupted smoothly. “Brent Englewood.”
His voice carried quiet authority, the kind that didn’t need to be raised to be felt.
He gestured toward the woman beside him.
“And my wife, Tamsin.”
Her gaze moved to me.
And stayed there.
Recognition sharpened her expression, though it was anything but welcoming.
“Nice to see you again, N
