LUCIEN’S POV

I stood beside King Maximus, arms crossed tight over my chest, trying to focus on what the patrol warrior was saying.

The man—Rylan, one of our best border scouts—stood rigid, voice steady but urgent.

“Three humans, Your Majesty. Survey equipment. They were spotted just inside the western ridge of Crescent Moon territory this morning. Drones too—one small, one larger. They didn’t cross the ward line, but they were mapping. Taking photos. Talking about ‘prime real estate’ and ‘clearing for access roads.’”

Maximus’s jaw ticked. “How long were they there?”

“Twenty-three minutes. Left in a black car. License plate obscured. We’ve got partial tracks.”

The king nodded slowly. “Double...