Patrick crossed into Blackthorn territory before sunrise, the forest shifting around him in a way that signaled he no longer held the center of power. The trees grew denser, the air colder, the silence heavier with the rules of a land that wasn’t his. His wolf felt it first, a pressure that curled low in his spine, his instinct urging caution. Kane’s territory didn’t welcome outsiders. It tolerated them. Barely.

The escort stopped at the clearing that formed the entrance to Kane’s main grounds. Blackthorn wolves watched from the edges, eyes bright in the dim light, expressions unreadable. Patrick didn’t look away. Showing even a flicker of unease here meant...