David watched the council members as they entered the meeting room, their expressions a blend of worry and interest. He could tell they were aware of their Alpha’s unease, which permeated the pack bonds like a pre-storm charge. As the Beta, he felt it more intensely than others, the sharp pang of his Alpha’s suffering pulsing beneath his surface.

The northern border dispute should have been a straightforward matter. The Stone Ridge Pack had been encroaching on their hunting grounds for months, testing boundaries, looking for weaknesses. At any other time, Finn would have handled it with the calculated precision that had made him one of the youngest and most...