Lucian'POV
I ran my hand through my hair, the cold edge of the night slicing across my skin like a warning.
We were patrolling the border—again.
The last few weeks had been tense. Rogue wolves had been slipping into Storm Pack territory with increasing frequency. Each crossing wasn't just bold—it was a middle finger to our laws.
As Alpha, turning a blind eye wasn't an option. Not unless I wanted to invite a full-on mutiny.
Fenrir stirred in the back of my mind, restless.
Something's off tonight, he growled, low and sharp.
I raised a fist, signaling my patrol team to halt.
The forest had gone dead silent—no insects, no owls, just a stillness that pressed against the bones.
Then I heard it: a whimper.
Small. Frightened.
"Stay sharp," I ordered through the p
