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I pick up on the Blackburn scent easily enough. It’s sour and festering, the result of a pack formed with impure intentions. It smells like wet, rotting leaves and the musty odor of mold spores. Like a dead forest, tinged with a metallic hint of spilled blood.

It’s disgusting.

Sneaking as close to Blackburn territory as I dare, I pick up on one strain of the scent in particular. Trailing through Whiterose land on the other side of the border, I trace the scent with unfortunate ease a couple of miles north, where it ends close to what seems, in the dark distance, to be a clearing overgrown with weeds.

The Blackburn scent is stronger and more concentrated there. I don’t need to get any closer to understand what that means. It’s not the entirety of Samson’s pack, but a small satellite pack of minions. The kind of soldiers you send ahead to clear a more efficient path to victory. These are the wolves who have been causing trouble. The ones who spooked those Whiteroses and sent them careening blindly into Greenbriar territory. The ones causing an eastward population shift among the elderly Whiteroses. It’s conquest by intimidation.

It’s fucking disgusting.

I judge the distance between the satellite pack’s camp and the Whiterose border to be less than a quarter-mile. Uncomfortably close.

And, after some careful maneuvering to get just a little bit closer, I count at least eight or nine shifters among their group. Strong ones, too. Healthy and large. Samson Blackburn has, indeed, been preparing well during these past few years of silence.

The Whiteroses don’t stand a chance.

Before I can leave too much Greenbriar evidence behind, I turn and head back in the direction I came.

I race fast through the silvery moonlight, letting it guide my way. For the umpteenth time, I find myself noting how concerning it is that I’m not running into anyone else as I flit through the Whiterose lands. Where are the patrols? The sentinels? Why isn’t Henry ensuring the security of his lands?

Only when I get back to where I left my car on the very edge ofGreenbriar territory do I recognize the beating hearts of my own people populating the quiet night. I know one of my father’s patrols is moving through the northeast part of our land, and even though it wouldn’t be a problem if I ran into them, I don’t want to have to explain why I went running on my own tonight.

Cal is the only person I told about what I’d be up to, and even he doesn’t know the full truth behind my motivations yet. He thinks I’m just being a devoted Alpha-to-be, taking risks so that others won’t have to.

When I make it back to my truck, I shift back into my human form, yank my clothes on, and throw myself into the driver’s seat. Multitasking for a minute, I start the engine and fumble for my phone, pulling onto the highway as the phone rings.

It’s two in the morning, but Cal tends to be a nocturnal creature. Also, I doubt my Beta would have been able to sleep knowing that I had ventured alone up to the Blackburn border.

Cal answers immediately as I take a too-fast turn onto the route that will bring me around into Whiterose territory without cutting through the main part of their land.

“What’s wrong?” he says instead of his usual hey, man or what’s up.

“The fucking Blackburns.”

“What happened? Are you hurt? I told you it wasn’t a good idea to—”

“I’m fine. Relax.” I bark, steering in the direction of Alina’s house without even thinking about it. I’m driving over the speed limit, but it’s the middle of the night, and I’m not worried about it.

“Where are you?”

I decide to ignore Cal’s question. “Samson has a satellite pack stalking the borderlands. Less than ten, but they’re big and bulky. Soldiers, definitely. About a quarter-mile from the Whiteroses, but their scent carries all the way over the border, so it’s obvious they’ve crossed over numerous times.”

“Fuck,” is all Cal says.

“I know.”

“What do you need me to do?”

“Tell my father. And don’t let anyone else do what I just did.”

“Why can’t you tell your father? Where are you, man?”

“I’m…remember when I asked you to trust me?”

In response, I get a heavy sigh.

“Just give me a few more days, and then I can explain,” I continue.

“Please don’t tell me you’re in Blackburn territory.”