"But I never said an alliance was impossible, did I?" Dad cut in, his voice dropping into that heavy, instructional tone he used when he was teaching Malcolm how to lead. "Malcolm, you’re an Alpha. You need to stop looking for one monster and start looking for the web. Possibilities A and B aren't mutually exclusive—they’re likely working together."

"Then what’s the next move, Alpha?" the lead sentinel asked, his posture stiffening as he waited for a command.

Malcolm nodded slowly, his mind clearly racing through a dozen different battlefield scenarios. "Keep a constant rotation on them. I want eyes on that camp 24/7, but stay downwind. And if you...