Several moons later, Evelina found herself putting Alden's diplomatic suggestions to the test. A lone wolf had approached the Serene Pack's territory under a temporary white flag of truce. Against the elders' initial objections, she had agreed to meet with him and hear his message.

Now the stranger sat across from her in a secluded meadow, his wiry grey coat and lean muscular frame marking him as a seasoned wilderness survivor. His piercing amber eyes met Evelina's gaze steadily.

"I come on behalf of my pack with the olive branch of peace, Evelina of the Serene," he said in a rough but formal cadence. "Too long have our peoples existed...