The letter was one page.

Marina had been trained to read upside down. She had the words before Silvain finished the first line.

"Asset embedded in Bloodfang territory. Extraction window closes in six days. Confirm mission status: has Alpha Redthorn been compromised sufficiently for structural collapse of pack leadership? Reply by northern courier. Signed, your patron."

No name. No pack seal she recognized. But the word patron landed in her chest like a stone dropped in still water, sending ripples she could not stop.

Silvain set the letter down.

He did not look at Ragnar. He looked at her.

"Structural collapse," he said. His voice was very quiet. "That is...