Page 12 of A Female Alpha for the Lycan Prince

I kneel at the spot I’ve just discovered. “A campfire.” I frown.

Harmony’s eyes check the ground further. “And a tent. There had to be a tent here too.”

“Could it be kids?” Marcel asks, not sounding too convinced himself.

“No,” I say in a matter-of-fact tone. “It took us two hours to reach this place, and we are three strong and highly trained wolves. Not to mention the difficult terrain we navigated through just to reach the river and then crossing over here. I know kids do stupid stuff sometimes, but coming here? It’s not possible.”

“Do you think it’s a coincidence?” Harmony wants to know. “Someone passed by and just stayed here. We are pretty close to the pack border after all.”

“That’s what’s worrying me,” I mutter. “It’s too close to the border to be overlooked.”

This is almost impassable terrain here. It’s rocky and raw this close to the mountains. Rough. Not even hikers pass through here. The path over the mountain is dangerous, and there is a cliff running along one side. It’s the reason we don’t guard it as much as other parts, because no one in their right mind would walk by here.

“I will link Elias to gather some warriors and come here. He is a tracker, it’s his gift. I’ll let him roam the area and see what he can find.” I nod towards Harmony. “Make sure to gather our warriors tonight, everyone from the advanced and elite training. We need to tighten patrols and re-work our routes and strategy.”

“Whose lands are these behind our border?” Marcel asks, looking towards the mountains.

“No man’s land.” I point out. “It belongs to no one.”

Marcel carefully touches the ashes of the bonfire. “It still feels a bit warm,” he mutters. “It’s not been long since someone was here.”

“How come we can’t smell anyone?” Harmony queries. There is worry in her voice now, “We would have easily smelled rogues.”

“Maybe they masked their scent?” Marcel offers.

These were no rogues.Danica states.

How do you know?

I just know,she states.Don’t ask me how and why… I just know.

The next few hours pass in a blur. Elias arrives with a few choice warriors, three male and two female. They are all excellent trackers. I join the team, running with them, and we find two more camps on pack land before following a path that leads into the mountains. The terrain is so rough, though, that we don’t make it far. However, we do come across one more abandoned camp at the foot of the mountain.

Elias links me.Shit.

Indeed,I add grimly.

How would they even move across the mountain? And cover their scent? A part of me wishes I could push the whole incident aside and label it as a coincidence, some rogues maybe? But I know better. There is too much going on here for it to be a coincidence. Someone has a plan and knows what they are doing.

We leave the mountains before it starts getting too dark. It’s not like we can achieve anything immediately, and I need to gather more information. Tomorrow, I will definitely give Annie and Liam a call to see what they think. They might have more knowledge about what’s going on.

When we arrive back at the pack house, I send Elias home to get some sleep. My father is already waiting for Harmony and me. Marcel bows his head politely. “Alpha Cedric.”

He smiles a bit. “I’m not alpha anymore, no need to act so formally… right, Beta Harmony?”

Harmony chuckles slightly. “Right.”

When his gaze shifts towards me, he looks worried though. “What happened?”

“Give me a moment to freshen up, then I will fill you in. Harmony and Marcel.” I turn towards my friends. “Go and get some rest too. And eat something.”

“How about you come to my place?” Marcel offers us. “My sister Jazz is waiting for me anyway with her best friend. I’m going to prepare dinner for them, there’s enough extra if you want to join us…”

“You had me at dinner,” Harmony grins.

“Go ahead,” I nod toward them. “I will catch up with you later.” I need to talk to my father and get his thoughts on today’s events first. With his vast experience leading the pack, and his usually calm demeanor, I’m certain he’ll give me honest and good advice.

“And here I was, hoping we could sit and have a glass of wine together,” my father says with a smile. “But I like how you mingle with the pack and the warriors. So, I won’t complain.” He pauses. “Much.”