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TAVE 

I turned to Alexander, still flushed from earlier, and harrowed my eyes at him, half amused. “Really? Teald, my voice low. “Of all the excuses you could come up with… “Your Luna isn’t feeling well? He shrugged casually, that infuriatingly calm smirk tugging at his lips. “It worked, didn’t it?” 

I rolled my eyes and let out a soft laugh, shaking my head. “Of course it worked,” I said, exasperated but smiling. “Because no one’s going to risk questioning you on that. Not even the elder. But that doesn’t mean it makes sense.” 

He shook his head slowly, eyes glinting with amusement, like he already knew the effect he had on me. “There’s really no pleasing you,” he said, his voice low, almost smug. 

I huffed softly, trying to hide the laugh that threatened to escape. “Thank you, I muttered. Then, deciding it was better to escape the room before anyone else walked in and saw us in… whatever state we’d just been in, I hurried toward the door. 

Alexander’s eyes followed me, a quiet amusement in their depths, as I nearly ran into the hallway. I couldn’t help glancing back over my shoulder, catching his smirk one last time before I slipped out, my heart racing, a blush still burning across my cheeks. 

ALEXANDER 

I woke to the sharp, insistent ringing of the warning bell. My eyes snapped open before the sound even had a chance to fully register. Darkness pressed against the edges of my room, but the moment was enough–I knew instinctively that this wasn’t a drill. 

Faye stirred beside me almost immediately, blinking sleep from her eyes, and I reached for her 

hand. “Wake up,” I said quietly but firmly. She didn’t need more than that. Like me, she was already 

alert, tension coiling through her like a living thing. 

We moved quickly, the urgency of the night driving us into motion. The corridor felt longer than usual, shadows stretching at odd angles as we passed the other rooms. Cole met us on the way, rubbing his eyes, still half in a haze of sleep. 

“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice low, scanning him for any trace of alarm. 

“I’m just waking up,” he muttered, clearly caught off guard. 

I didn’t have time for more. The pack would be mobilizing; we had to see for ourselves. 

The main security post came into view, and even from a distance, I could see the commotion. Guards were clustered around something–or someone–being carefully carried. As we drew 

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closer, the sight became clear. 

A young man, unconscious, filthy with dirt and streaked in dried blood, was being laid down on the ground. The way the guards moved him, with both caution and urgency, told me this wasn’t just a regular encounter. The man had been through something severe, something that left him at the edge of death. 

I stepped forward immediately. “What is this? Who Is he?” My eyes scanned the guards, looking for 

answers, for some indication of what we were dealing with. 

One of them spoke. “We found him at the border, Alpha. We thought he was dead, but… he was still 

breathing.” 

The words barely registered before my body had already begun to take over. Delta Kyle was shouting orders, already running with a small contingent of warriors toward the border. “Check the perimeter!” he barked. “Secure the line! If this is an attack, we need to be ready!” 

My eyes returned to the young man. I knelt beside him, pressing my fingers to his neck to check his pulse–strong enough to know he was alive, weak enough to know he had been through hell. 

I lifted his head gently, checking for injuries, but the layers of dirt and blood obscured everything. His clothes were torn and ragged, stained almost beyond recognition. Even his scent–if he were a wolf–was masked by the grime. I couldn’t tell for certain. 

I checked for any markings, any indication of origin+pack insignias, symbols, tattoos, anything that could identify him. Nothing. He was anonymous in every way that mattered, reduced to survival 

and injury. 

Cole crouched beside me, peering at the young man with a mixture of concern and calculation. Alpha… what do we do with him?” he asked, his voice cautious. His eyes darted to mine, searching for direction, waiting for the command that would determine whether this was a problem or an 

opportunity. 

I remained silent, studying the stranger. He was young–probably late teens, maybe early twenties. His features, obscured by dirt and blood, suggested strength, but also vulnerability. Whoever he was, he had been left to die. That much was obvious. 

His chest rose and fell with labored breaths, the rhythm irregular but steady. His hands twitched slightly against the ground, almost imperceptibly, as if he were beginning to stir. I leaned closer, my fingers brushing against his jaw as I assessed him for any signs of immediate danger–poison, infection, anything that might be contagious or spread fear. Nothing of that sort was obvious. 

I straightened, looking at the guards. “Who found him first?” I demanded. 

The wiry guard spoke again, detailing the patrol route, the moment they stumbled upon him, and the realization that he was still alive. He explained how they carried him back, how the border had 

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been quiet until they spotted him. 

ઇમેઇ 

Kyle returned from the perimeter check, breathless but composed. “The border’s secure, Alpha, Nothing unusual except this.” His eyes flicked to the young man and lingered there. “Whatever happened to him happened elsewhere.” 

I nodded, acknowledging the update, but my attention remained fixed. This wasn’t just a stray, someone or something had targeted him, and the pack needed answers. I took a deep breath, 

Cole shifted, glancing between me and the boy, then spoke again, hesitant. “Alpha… should we bring him inside? Let the healers check him? What should we do with him?” 

He finally got my attention this time. Of course, I had a decision to make–immediately. 

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