Bennett's POV

　　Disaster seemed imminent as we stood before the Nightshade Pack's den, surrounded by snarling guards. The air was electric with tension, and we knew we had to tread carefully to avoid a fight.

　　I stepped forward, my hands raised in a calming gesture. "We mean no harm. We're here to speak with the Alpha."

　　The guards growled, their eyes flashing with hostility. One of them, a burly wolf with a scar above his left eyebrow, sneered at me. ...