Kael's Pov

I stood outside the den door with the folded paper in my fist. The scout had slipped it under my belt while I was checking the perimeter. One line in Lyra’s handwriting, orders from her Alpha. Kill Kael or don’t come back. My blood went hot, then cold. I pushed the door open hard. It banged against the wall.

Lyra sat on the furs, wrapping a strip of cloth around her wrist. She looked up calmly. “You’re back early.”

I held the paper out. “Read it.”

She took it slow. Her face stayed still while her eyes moved over the words. When she finished she folded it once...