Morning light spilled across the valley.
Lucien led me toward a massive stone gate built into a mountain.
"This is your pack?" I asked.
"Part of it."
Part?
The gates opened slowly.
Inside stood dozens of wolves.
And every single one of them stared at me.
Not with contempt.
With shock.
Lucien walked calmly through them.
"Relax," he said.
"No one's attacking you."
One woman approached cautiously.
Her eyes fixed on my neck.
"Is that…?"
Lucien nodded once.
Her face went pale.
"What does it mean?" I asked.
No one answered.
Finally Lucien looked at me.
"It means the world just became complicated."
Great.
"Can someone explain?"
Before he could speak—
A deep horn echoed across the valley.
Lucien cursed.
"That was fast."
"What was?"
He looked toward the gates.
"Your old Alpha."
My heart dropped.
"He followed us?"
Lucien smiled slowly.
"Of course."
Outside the walls—
Alpha Kaiden waited.
And he wasn't alone.