The meeting with Magnus happens just after sunset. Magnus Wilder stands near the edge of the clearing, his presence steady, grounded in a way that immediately commands attention.
“You picked up the scent too,” he says without preamble.
“Yeah.”
“Not passing through.”
“No.”
Magnus nods, his expression grim. “Rogues.”
The word settles like a weight.
“How many?” Conrad asks.
“Not sure yet,” Magnus replies. “But enough to be a problem if they push further in.”
My instincts sharpen instantly. Territory. Protection. Defense.
“They won’t come into town,” I say.
Magnus’s gaze shifts to me. “Confident?”
“I’ll make sure of it.”
A pause.
Then he nods. “Good.”
“Patrol tonight?” Conrad asks.
“I’ll take it,” I say immediately.
Magnus studies me for a second, then gives a single, approving nod. “Stay on the borders. Don’t engage unless you have to.”
“Understood.”
The forest is alive in a different way at night. Quieter on the surface, but sharper beneath.
I shift easily, my tiger stretching into the darkness, senses heightening instantly. Every scent, every sound, every subtle shift in the air becomes clear.
And there it is. Cougar. Faint, but unmistakable. Not one. Several. Marking territory.
Too close.
A low growl rumbles in my chest as I move along the border, tracking the scent lines. They’re testing the edges, pushing just enough to see what kind of resistance they’ll meet. They’ll find it.
I reinforce the boundary, leaving my own markers, stronger, deliberate. A warning. Stay out. As I move, my awareness splits again—part of me focused on the patrol, the threat?—
And part of me still, impossibly, aware of her. Back in that building. Unprotected.
Mine.
I push harder against the instinct, forcing it down beneath duty, beneath control. But it doesn’t disappear. It waits. And I know, sooner or later?—
I won’t be able to ignore it. The patrol should clear my head. It usually does.
The forest has always been enough—its rhythm steady, its boundaries clear. Out here, everything makes sense. Territory. Scent. Movement. Instinct. Simple. But tonight, it’s not enough.
