Marina woke before dawn to the sound of howling.

Not the friendly greetings of pack members or the playful calls of pups learning their voices. This was an alarm sharp, urgent, carrying a note of distress that jolted her upright in the bed she now shared with Silvain.

He was already moving, his body shifting from relaxed sleep to warrior alertness in an instant. Through their bond, Marina felt his Alpha instincts flare as he processed the information carried in that howl.

"Border patrol," he said, pulling on clothes with efficient speed. "Something's wrong at the eastern perimeter."

Marina dressed just as quickly, her hybrid senses stretching out to taste...