Full dark came faster than I wanted.

I stood on the eastern wall, watching the tree line for movement. Beside me, Darius had gone still in that way that meant his wolf was doing most of the sensing.

"Anything?"

"Too much." His voice was rough. "Multiple scents. Coming from different directions but moving with coordination."

That confirmed it. This wasn't random. Someone had planned this carefully.

Below us, the courtyard buzzed with controlled activity. Synchronized pairs moved into ...