Nathan’s POV

I sat in my office, the map of the territory spread out before me as my Beta, Cade, stood by my side. The room smelled faintly of ink, leather, and pinewood, scents that grounded me as I tried to focus on the task at hand. For days now, we’d been on high alert. Jackson was moving in the shadows, plotting something dangerous, and I couldn’t afford to let my guard down, not with Adina and the pack depending on me.

“Double the guards at the eastern borders,” I said firmly, ...