I emerge from the forest and locate our hidden log where we stash our clothes. Jace has already retrieved his. After pulling on my pants, I walk toward the pack house, watching wolf pups toss a ball back and forth while pack members chat in small clusters. My chest swells with pride at the sight of my pack living peacefully. This is exactly what I'm fighting to protect—I refuse to let any threat disturb what we've built.

Upon entering the pack house, I'm heading for the stairs to clean up when I spot Jace waiting for me. My stomach tightens he never waits for me unless something's wrong.

"What took you so long?" he demands, jumping to his feet.

I roll my eyes and brush past him, unwilling to let his attitude ruin my mood. "We need to go to your office," he calls after me. "One of the scouting parties returned early."

I halt and glare at him. "Why didn't you lead with that?" Without waiting for an answer, I hurry back toward my office where Gamma Braxton and his scouting party are already waiting. Once inside, I activate the soundproofing device on my desk. Once everyone is in my office, I signal Braxton to begin the briefing. Sandy rises from her chair, shoulders squared with the gravity of her report. "Alpha," she says, her voice steady but tense, "the Blood Moon Pack is stockpiling silver at an alarming rate—three deliveries daily. They've converted an entire section of their territory into a weapons forge. Our scouts observed them crafting silver-tipped arrows, bullets, and even melting it down for other purposes.

We counted hundreds of wooden crates filled with these weapons, all neatly organized and ready for deployment." "They're also bringing in outsiders," Sandy continues, her voice dropping to barely above a whisper. "Rogues. We counted at least two to three hundred. Either they're planning to sacrifice them in the first wave before committing their trained warriors, or they're desperate to increase their fighting force."

She hesitates, glancing at her teammates before meeting my gaze again. "Everything points to war preparations, Alpha. We couldn't determine their target, but their entire pack is on edge—constant training drills, weapons production running day and night." I nod, offering the team a rare smile. "Excellent work. Get some food and rest—you've earned it." They rise in unison, heads bowed respectfully. "Yes, Alpha," they murmur before filing out.

Once alone, I pace the length of my office, fingers kneading the tense muscles at the back of my neck as the implications sink in. The weight of the news drives me to my cabinet where I retrieve a bottle of whiskey and three glasses. I pour the amber liquid, take a steadying sip, and gesture for Braxton and Jace to join me. We drink in tense silence, each lost in our own thoughts about what's coming.

Jace finishes his whiskey in one swift motion, then reaches for the bottle to pour another. "We should intensify training," he says, his voice low and grave. "Our warriors need to build tolerance to silver—learn to fight through the burn when it touches our skin. It could mean the difference between life and death." I rise and circle my desk, the floorboards creaking under my deliberate steps. Turning to Braxton, I order, "Double the patrol strength. Every unit gets an additional warrior, effective immediately."

"Sandy and her team will need to continue surveillance on the Blood Moon Pack," I say, drumming my fingers on the desk. "Give them a day to recover, then send them back out." Braxton rises, bows his head. "Yes, Alpha," he murmurs before slipping out the door. I turn to Jace, who's still nursing his whiskey. "Contact our neighboring packs. Test where their loyalties stand. Size doesn't guarantee loyalty—being the largest pack in the region won't stop a knife in our back." I lean forward. "Arrange a summit with all Alphas. Soon." I pause, considering our defenses. "We'll need our own silver supply. Weapons too. I'll oversee training personally, and I want everyone to participate exceptions. Security patrols will be doubled, and I'll be joining them regularly."

I dropped into the chair beside Jace with a heavy sigh, unable to contain the smile spreading across my face. "Jadon," I say, her name feels so right rolling off my tongue. "Those green eyes of hers—like she can see straight through me. And that red hair..." I trail off, remembering how it caught the light. "When she smiles, it's like standing in the sun after a long winter."

Jace clears his throat. "With all these changes, you'll barely have time to breathe. Training everyone, doubling security..." His words hit me like a bucket of cold water. Jadon's face flashes in my mind, and I'm already calculating how to fit her into this chaos.

"Even if you manage to slip away," Jace continues, eyebrow raised. "what makes you think she'd want to come here? To a pack preparing for war?"

"She'll come," I say, more confidently than I feel. "At least to visit."

I rise and pour another whiskey, downing it in one burning gulp. "Let's get some rest. Tomorrow will be hell."

In my quarters, I sink onto the edge of my bed, massaging the knots in my neck. The weight of my pack's safety presses down on me, and beneath it all runs a current of foreboding. Something massive is brewing—something we'll need to face head-on, and soon.

I close my eyes, and Jadon's smile floods my vision—that radiant expression that transforms her entire face. My chest tightens with worry about her injured leg and whether she's recovering well. The bedside clock reads 11:30 PM, later than I realized. After a quick shower, I slide into bed wearing only boxers, but sleep evades me as I toss restlessly.

Dawn breaks at 5 AM, and I'm already up. Another shower, then I pull on training shorts and a shirt before heading to the kitchen for a hasty breakfast, just coffee and a biscuit before making my way to the training field where my warriors await.

Jace arrives minutes later. We've always believed in training alongside our pack members—I'd never order them to endure what I wouldn't face myself. The physical exertion clears my mind, grounds me. After several grueling hours, Jace approaches, wiping sweat from his brow.

"I'm heading in to make those calls and tackle the paperwork," he says. "Good. I'll complete my rounds and meet you in the office after. “My first stop is the pack hospital. Our doctor greets me with tired eyes but a genuine smile when I inquire about supplies.

"We're well-stocked, Alpha," he assures me. "Though we could use additional cloth for bandages and slings."

"Nothing else?" I press. His smile deepens with appreciation. "That should carry us through. Thank you, Alpha."

The orphanage is my next stop. Tiny footsteps thunder across the floor when I open the door, small faces lighting up at the sight of me. Story time has become our ritual—one that softens even my battle-hardened edges. On the carpet, little Tina climbs onto my lap without hesitation, her grief still fresh from losing her parents months ago. She presses a worn book about animals into my hands, her eyes wide with expectation. As I read, my voice drops to a gentle rumble, and one by one, eyelids grow heavy around the circle. By the third page, Tina's fingers have curled around mine, breathing deep and steady against my chest.

I rise quietly so the children won’t wake and catch Ms. Eliza’s eye as she approaches. Her weathered face softens.

“They count the hours until your visits, Alpha,” she whispers, nodding at the sleeping forms. “Nothing settles them like your stories.” Her warmth eases some tension in my shoulders. “Did you compile the supply list?”

Ms. Reese hurries back with a neatly folded sheet. I scan the modest requests—winter boots, art supplies, a few specialty toys for developmental needs. “I’ll see to these personally. Any urgency?” “We’re managing fine,” Ms. Eliza replies. “Your attention matters more than any material things.”

After a last look at Tina’s peaceful face, I leave for the school, a short walk through the territory. Principal Garrett meets me at the entrance and offers a formal handshake.

“The educational materials arrived Thursday,” he reports. “The tech team is configuring everything now.”

“That’s wonderful—glad to know we’ll have it all updated and running smoothly.” I say goodbye and head back to my office, already bracing for the paperwork awaiting me while Jace’s calls to the other Alphas to schedule a meeting.

Once each spring, we hold the Mate Gathering—a weeklong celebration for unpaired wolves. On the full moon they run and howl together, hoping to find their true mates. Some succeed; others must keep searching. Afterward there’s a dance, then we begin the paperwork to assign new mates to their packs.

year I hope my best friend will find his mate, but his luck hasn’t changed. Last year he didn’t even join the run—he stayed by my side, greeting Alphas and Betas from neighboring packs. Wolves come from everywhere hoping to meet their match, and some simply come to enjoy the week’s festivities.

I pushed open the heavy oak door of the pack house and make my way to my office, where Jace sits scowling at his phone.

"Someone must of woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" I ask, though the thundercloud expression on his face tells me everything.

He tosses the phone onto the desk. "These damn Alphas," he growls. "Half of them couldn't be bothered to show basic respect to the Beta of the Blue Jade Pack. Like I'm some common messenger." "Any luck with the younger packs?"

"They're on board. Meeting's set for Tuesday at one." He rubs his temples. "That was the last call."

I settled behind my desk, pulling a stack of neglected paperwork toward me. "I'll have lunch brought up. Looks like we're in for the long haul."

Jace laughs dryly. "Just another day at the office."

"You know," I say, unable to resist, "if you'd stop avoiding the Mate Gatherings, you might have better things to do than paperwork with me." His glare could melt silver as he pours himself another whiskey. We work in companionable silence until the clock strikes midnight, when I finally look up from the sea of reports. "Enough," I say, filing the last document. "We're done for today."

The heavy office door clicks shut behind us as we head upstairs, parting ways at the landing. In my quarters, I sink onto the edge of my bed, kneading the tension from my neck. Jadon's face materializes, those emerald eyes that seemed to look straight through me, that fiery hair catching the sunlight. The memory of her scent—jasmine with wild berries—sends a rush through my veins. Where exactly is she staying? I can't place any dwellings near where I dropped her off.

The walls suddenly feel too close. I strip down and shift, letting my wolf form take over. The night air fills my lungs as I race through the territory, paws pounding rhythmically against the earth until I reach the river. Resting against a boulder, I watch moonlight dance across the water's surface. Even here, her smile haunts me. I should have stayed longer, learned more about her. Perhaps she'll come to the pack, ostensibly for research. Perhaps she'll stay.

As I loop around to head home, my wolf's mouth curls into what might pass for a smile. Despite looming threats, despite everything, my chest feels inexplicably light.