The North Ridge was silent.
It shouldn't have been. According to the scout, a massive Black Lion was rampaging here, challenging Kael's authority and threatening to steal his mate. There should have been roaring. There should have been the smell of fresh aggression.
Instead, there was nothing but a swarm of flies buzzing around a lump on the ground.
Kael, in his massive tiger form, skidded to a halt, his claws tearing deep gouges into the earth. His chest heaved, white fur bristling with anticipation of violence.
He approached the "Lion."
It wasn't a lion.
It was a rotting piece of black bear fur, draped over a log, smeared with fermented lion dung and...
Sniff.
...Fox musk?
Kael shifted. Bones cracked and reshaped until he stood there in his human form, naked and trembling with rage. He kicked the log. It shattered into splinters.
"A trick," Kael whispered, the realization hitting him like a physical blow.
