Rowan's POV.
The patrol was routine.
Too quiet, if I was being honest. I was moving through the northern edge of Blackclaw territory in my wolf form, keeping a steady pace while the others spread out behind me. The moon was high, bright enough to see clearly between the trees. Nothing unusual had been reported. No intrusions, no disturbances.
Still, something felt off.
I slowed and lifted my head, drawing in the air.
Blood, fresh blood.
My steps stopped.
I shifted direction immediately, signaling the others to hold back. This wasn't something I wanted handled loudly. Whatever had crossed into my territory had already bled here, and blood attracted trouble.
The scent grew stronger as I moved deeper into the woods. Alongside it was something else, unfamiliar and sharp in a way I didn't like.
I reached a small clearing and saw him.
A wolf lay sprawled on the ground, dark fur matted with blood. His breathing was shallow, uneven. He wasn't dead, not yet, but he was close.
Rogue.
I could tell immediately. No pack scent, no territorial mark. Just the raw smell of someone who belonged nowhere.
I circled him slowly, alert. Rogues were unpredictable. Injured ones even more so.
Then I saw the wound. Bite marks at his neck, my body went still.
Vampire.
I shifted back into human form without looking away from him, crouching beside the wolf. The wound was already dark around the edges. The skin looked wrong. Healing wasn't starting.
That shouldn't have been possible.
A vampire's bite killed werewolves fast.
Anyone bitten should have been dead by now.
Yet he was still breathing, barely.
I hesitated.
This wasn't my responsibility. Letting a rogue die was safer, cleaner, no complications, no questions from the council.
But something pulled at me uncomfortably, telling me to move.
I pressed my fingers into the fur near his shoulder. The wolf flinched weakly, a low sound leaving his throat. His eyes opened halfway, clouded, unfocused, but they locked onto mine for a brief second.
Something twisted in my chest, his eyes looked oddly familiar.
I frowned, jaw tightening. That made no sense. I had never seen him before.
"Stay alive," I said quietly, though I wasn't sure he could hear me.
I lifted him carefully, adjusting my grip when his weight sagged against me. He was lighter than he should have been, probably hadn't been eating well.
Rogue life.
I moved fast, heading back toward the pack borders. If there was any chance of saving him, it had to be now.