The tablet screen went black, but Soren’s words kept ringing in my ears.
See you at dawn.
I stared at the empty display, silver knife still strapped to my thigh, sweat cooling on my skin from the training session. The bond between Damien and me pulsed like a second heartbeat — strong, steady, but now edged with something sharper. Fear.
Damien’s arms were iron around my waist. He hadn’t let go since the video started. His chest pressed against my back, breath hot on my neck. “He’s bluffing. The estate is locked down. No one gets in without my say-so.”
The silver-haired elder stepped forward, her face carved from stone. “Then explain the footage, Alpha. That garden is on Voss land. The camera angle was from inside the tree line — one of our own security blind spots. Soren didn’t just inf
