“I know what you mean,” I said, keeping my voice low. My fingers instinctively brushed the hilt of my dagger as if that small reassurance could push away the unease swirling in my chest. “That retreat was too… planned.”
Mal huffed, her breath visible in the chilly air. “Rogues aren’t planners. They’re opportunists. Attacking packs like ours takes guts or sheer stupidity-not coordination.” Her golden eyes darted back to where Logan walked ahead, his stride steady despite the tension in his shoulders. “He’s acting like this is just another fight, but we all felt it. That wasn’t normal.”
Evan gave a quiet grunt of agreement but remained focused on the trees around us, his senses as sharp as his silver-tipped baton. “Logan’s not wrong to focus on defense. For now, at least. But Mal’s right, Audrey.” He finally turned his attention to me, his usual calm expression replaced by something harder. “You saw how they moved-pack-like. That’s not rogue behavior. Something bigger is happening.”
I nodded, my stomach twisting. I hated how much sense their words made, hated even more that I couldn’t shake the memory of the scar-faced rogue’s bloodied grin. You’re playing right into our hands.
If this wasn’t about claiming territory or revenge, then what was it?
By the time we reached the den, my thoughts felt as jagged as the rocky formation shielding us from the elements. The pack dispersed immediately, some disappearing into their usual corners while others hovered around the firepit in the center.
The den felt different now. The warmth of home and the faint hum of camaraderie that usually comforted me seemed buried under layers of unease. The others were feeling it too. You could see it in the way conversations faltered or how people stole glances toward the entrance.
Logan stopped in the middle of the den, his voice slicing through the uneasy silence. “Evan, Mal, Audrey-upstairs. Now.”
Evan raised an eyebrow but didn’t question him, following Mal and me up the narrow staircase carved into the side of the rock. When we reached Logan’s room-a private space that doubled as the pack’s strategic hub-he shut the door behind us and turned, his expression harder than I’d ever seen.
“You’ve got questions,” Logan started, pacing in front of us, his voice low and clipped. “I’m going to give you some answers, but first, I need you to understand that what’s said in this room doesn’t leave it.”
Mal crossed her arms. “Is this about why the rogues fought like they actually had brains? Because, no offense, Logan, but ‘it’s just another fight’ isn’t cutting it for me.”
“It’s not just another fight,” Logan admitted, stopping to face us. His eyes burned with an intensity that made me take a step back. “That rogue leader wasn’t bluffing. They’ve been planning something-building strength, organizing. I don’t know how or why, but this wasn’t the first time they’ve tested us.”
Evan frowned. “What do you mean, tested?”
Logan gestured toward the door as if the answer lay beyond it. “Rogues don’t have rules, but whoever’s leading them now does. Their attacks over the last few months… They’ve been strategic. Calculated. They’ve targeted weaker packs and wiped them out completely. No survivors. No witnesses.”
Mal sucked in a sharp breath. “And we’re next?”
“No.” Logan’s voice was firm, but there was a tremor beneath it. “We’re a challenge. They’re trying to figure out if we’re strong enough to resist-or if we’re weak enough to fall.”
I glanced at Mal and Evan, my unease solidifying into cold fear. “If they’re this organized, then why are we letting them regroup? Shouldn’t we be striking now, before they hit us again?”
“Do you think I don’t want to?” Logan snapped, his eyes flashing with frustration. “But we don’t know their full strength. Charging blindly into their territory might feel like the right move, but it’s suicide. I’m not losing anyone over a bad gamble.”
The room fell into a tense silence, each of us processing his words.
Mal was the first to speak, her tone unusually subdued. “So what’s the plan, then?”
Logan ran a hand through his hair, his lips pressing into a thin line. “For now, we shore up our defenses. Double patrols, expand the perimeter, and track any rogue movements we can. If they attack again, we fight back hard enough to make them think twice about trying a third time. But we don’t move first unless we have no other choice.”
It wasn’t the answer any of us wanted, but it was a decision.
“And the rogue leader?” Evan asked.
“Still unconscious.” Logan’s expression darkened. “But when he wakes up, we’ll get answers. He’ll talk-one way or another.”
The cold edge in his voice made me shiver. Logan wasn’t just an alpha protecting his pack anymore; he was a man preparing for war.
Hours passed, but sleep refused to come. I sat on the edge of my cot, staring at the faint glow of the dying fire in the main room. The rest of the pack had settled in, though unease hung in the air like an unspoken truth no one wanted to confront.
I glanced toward the entrance, half-expecting Logan to reappear with more orders, but the doorway remained empty.
The rogue’s words kept circling in my mind. You’ve made yourself a target.
Some part of me whispered that we’d missed something, that there was more to their retreat than just strategy. And if we didn’t figure it out soon, the consequences would be devastating.
Unable to sit still any longer, I grabbed my dagger and slipped outside into the cool night air. The forest loomed around me, its shadows deep and endless.
“Couldn’t sleep either?”
I spun, my heart leaping, but it was only Mal, leaning casually against a tree with her arms crossed.
“Mal,” I hissed, clutching my dagger tighter. “What are you doing out here?”
“Same as you, apparently.” She pushed off the tree and stepped closer, her golden eyes sharp even in the darkness. “Trying to make sense of everything. Figured I’d check the perimeter while I was at it.”
I sighed, lowering my dagger. “Did you see anything?”
“Not yet.” Her gaze flickered toward the forest, her expression unreadable. “But something doesn’t feel right. It’s too quiet.”
I followed her gaze, the unease in my chest deepening. “Do you think they’re still out there? Watching us?”
Mal didn’t answer right away, her lips pressing into a thin line. “If they are, they won’t catch us off guard. Not again.”
Her confidence was reassuring, but as we stood in the silence of the night, I couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever was coming would be worse than we could imagine.