Patrick's POV
I cross the boundary that divides rogue lands from Wildmane Pack territory, a path I have traveled countless times before. This time, however, bristling warriors block my way, their fangs bared and ready to spill my blood for the audacity of trespassing on their sacred ground. Never before have I been unwelcome in what was once my father's domain.
"Declare your purpose," one warrior snarls, his voice dripping with hostility.
I lift my palms skyward in surrender. "I need an audience with Alpha Yannis. Once we speak, I will depart."
His gaze rakes over me with obvious disgust before his eyes cloud over in communication with his alpha. With a reluctant grunt, he moves aside, clearing a narrow passage toward the pack house.
The forest air fills my lungs as I advance through familiar paths. Something feels fundamentally different about this place now. The putrid decay that haunts other territories is absent here.
