I felt the weight of their stares on Ellie, the way they assessed her, the cause of this confrontation, the prize Karik wanted to claim. Some of the younger wolves growled low in their throats, instinct flaring. Others simply watched, waiting to see what would happen.
The scent in the clearing was thick with adrenaline and fear, underlaid with the musk of too many predators in one space. My bear rose close to the surface, fur prickling beneath my skin, the urge to shift and defend nearly overwhelming.
Control it. Stay human. She needs you thinking, not raging.
I led Ellie through the assembled pack, to where Rivik and Ryke stood at the front of the formation. He stood cold, commanding, every inch the dominant alpha, slightly ahead of the others, back straight, shoulders squared, his entire body radiating controlled violence. He wore no tunic despite the cold, his skin marked with old scars and fresh ones still healing. Aflint knife was strapped to his thigh, but his hands were empty, relaxed at his sides.
He didn't need weapons to be dangerous.
His eyes were fixed on the valley approach, unblinking, predatory. Waiting.
Ryke stood beside him, similarly armed, similarly focused. The pack's best warriors flanked them, our friends. Torin, Miska and Jarak, names I knew by heart. Wolves I had grown up with, even if they had never quite been able to accept me. They were still family, still pack. Elders stood further back, witnesses to whatever was about to unfold.
Rivik's gaze flicked to us as we approached.
"How long?" No greeting, no preamble.
"An hour when I spotted them," I said, matching his tone. Keep it factual. Emotions later. "Maybe less now. War party formation, at least forty wolves. Karik at the front."
Rivik nodded. "You saw him clearly?"
"Yes."
"Numbers accurate?"
"As close as I could count while moving."
"Good." Rivik's eyes shifted to Ellie, and I felt her flinch slightly against my side. "You should not be here."
My hand pressed more firmly against her back, keeping her close. "She stays with me. She needs to be here, Rivik."
For a moment, I thought he might argue. The alpha in him bristled at the challenge, even a small one, and his bond would want him to protect her any way he could, as mine did, but Ellie needed to be here so Karik could see what we were about to tell him was the truth. Rivik turned away.
"Keep her behind the line. If it comes to fighting, get her out of here."
A howl cut through the clearing. Distant but unmistakable, echoing off the valley walls. It was answered by others, a cascade of sound that made every wolf in the camp tense and snarl.
They were here.
The pack reacted instantly. Wolves who'd been in human form shifted in a blur of fur and bone, others dropped into crouches, ready to spring. The defensive line tightened, warriors pressing shoulder to shoulder.
I moved without thinking, shifting my body to place Ellie slightly behind me. Not hiding her, not showing weakness, just guarding her. My bear surged beneath my skin, demanding I shift, demanding I prepare to fight.
Not yet. Stay controlled. Protect first.
Through the bond, I felt Ellie's fear spike, sharp enough to make my chest ache. Her hand found the back of my tunic, gripping tight, and I reached back to cover her fingers with mine.
I won't let him take you. I'll kill him first.
The sound of running paws grew louder, rhythmic and coordinated. Then shapes appeared at the ridge line—dark silhouettes against the grey sky, dozens of them, spreading out in a wide formation. Karik's pack.
They didn't sneak. Didn't try to hide. They came openly, confidently, cresting the ridge and flowing down into the valley in tight military precision. Larger numbers than we'd seen before. Forty wolves this time, all moving as one unit.
The dominant ones led from the front, massive and scarred, their eyes fixed on our camp. Others flanked the formation, covering the sides, cutting off escape routes. This wasn't a raid. This was an occupation.
Some of them shifted as they approached, rising from wolf to human with an ease that spoke of experience and power. Battle-tested warriors. Dangerous. Like us.
And at the front, leading them all, was Karik.
