I straighten, roll my shoulders once, and step away from the cabin. Wolves need to see me in control, not hovering like some anxious pup.
Harper Callahan steps out, her copper-brown hair pulled back in a practical braid. She moves with purpose, a leather messenger bag slung across her body.
Something in Harper’s carriage reminds me of her brother, Liam—confident without trying to be.
“Dane,” she says with a nod.
“Harper.” I match her tone. “More supplies?”
“Caleb sent me.” She glances around the compound, feeling, no doubt, the tension in the air. “He heard about the ... event.”
Fuck. News travels fast. I left Shadow Peak to build something on my own, not to have Caleb tracking every fire we put out … Or don’t put out.
Harper’s gaze turns analytical as she catalogs the wolves milling around. They’re trying to appear busy, but they’re watching us. Listening. Testing the air.
Ben emerges from the barracks, stops cold when he sees her. For half a second, something flashes across his face—recognition, hunger, regret. Then the mask slips back in place. He nods once and keeps walking, but his path curves slightly away from us.
Harper watches him go, her expression unchanged. But her pulse jumps—just once.
“Caleb thought these might help.” She unslings her bag and hands me a thick envelope. “Support packages. Funding. Access codes for a bank account if you need it.”
I flip through the contents. Cash. Credentials. Territory permits stamped with Shadow Peak’s brand, officially signing Ash Hollow territory to us.
The last time Harper came, two weeks ago, her truck was loaded with crates—medical supplies that Lyanna inventoried immediately, dried goods that filled our empty pantry, ammunition we may not use but it’s good to have. Physical resources we desperately need but can’t yet produce ourselves.
This time, she’s brought something different. The means to stand on our own feet.
Caleb didn’t just send supplies. He sent legitimacy—and now, independence.
With Phil’s—Faelan’s—influence still lingering, my authority has been under invisible pressure. But none of the wolves would dare question Shadow Peak’s backing.
“Tell him I appreciate it.” The words come out stiff. Not because I don’t mean them, but because saying them aloud feels like revealing too much.
Harper nods, understanding more than I’m saying. “There’s more. Three additional hikers disappeared around Silver Lake last night—on top of the five we’ve been tracking. Same signature as what you traced before the...” She pauses, searching for words. “Before the distortion took her.”
My jaw tightens. “How’s Caleb handling it?”
“Border patrols. Energy dampeners.” She shrugs. “But he needs someone who understands the pattern. Isla and Elysia know that it’s Fae in origin but don’t know much more than that.”
The cabin door opens behind me.
Nova stands in the doorway, pale but upright. Her dark hair falls loose around her shoulders, and there’s a new sharpness in her eyes. Lyanna hovers behind her, concerned but keeping her distance.
“I understand the pattern,” Nova says.
Harper turns, studies her with that same calm assessment. “Nova.”
Nova nods once, then takes three deliberate steps toward me. Her scent hits me first, and I feel a tightness in my chest.
Each step brings her closer to my wolf’s range, and I catalog the details without meaning to. The way morning light catches the charcoal of her hair, bringing out those violet undertonesthat shift with her movement. How her pale skin still carries a flush from sleep and healing. Her eyes hold mine, steady and determined, those gold flecks catching fire in the dawn.
She moves with that fluid grace that first caught my attention, but there’s something different now. Purpose in every line of her body. Her scent wraps around me, stronger than before—that electric edge of magic mixed with something that speaks directly to my wolf.
When she stops in front of me, the space between us charges with electricity. I can feel the heat radiating from her skin, see the steady pulse at the base of her throat. Her chin tilts up slightly to meet my gaze, and something fierce and possessive unfurls in my chest.
Before I can process what’s happening, she reaches up, presses her palm against my jaw, and kisses me.
It lasts three seconds, maybe four. Her lips firm against mine, her fingers against my skin. Then she steps back, turns to Harper.
