(Kieran POV)
Marcus burst through the great hall doors like the hounds of hell were on his heels, his human form barely containing the wolf that wanted to break free and run. Blood streaked his face from scratches that spoke of hasty passage through hostile territory, and his scent carried panic sharp enough to cut glass.
"Alpha!" His voice cracked with the particular strain that came from delivering news no one wanted to hear. "Territorial breach. Eastern boundary. It's—" He stopped, gulping air like a drowning man. "It's Blackwood, Alpha. Damien Blackwood."
Blackwood. The name hit me like a physical blow, dragging up memories I'd spent decades trying to bury. Damien Blackwood, who'd challenged my father's rule thirty years ago and been driven from these mountains with his tail between
