DEREK
I was still wiping the blood off my arm when Elena grabbed her father by the sleeve.
“What’s going on?” she demanded.
“There’s been a rogue attack,” he said, low and calm.
I stiffened beside her. “I’ll go help.”
But the Moonstone Alpha held up a hand without looking at me. “I appreciate your willingness to step in,” he said evenly, “but my men can take care of our own territory.”
“But—”
“It’s a small attack,” he said firmly. “Just a few rogues testing the perimeter, most likely. I’ve sent Mason to handle it.”
I glanced toward the drive, where Logan and Chad had already vanished into the dusk. Their absence left a sharp edge in the atmosphere. It felt like the warmth of the evening had been replaced by something colder—tense and alert.
The Alpha turned, nodding toward the hor
