The compound woke before dawn.
Ronan rarely demanded anything from his pack, but when he did, everyone moved. Wolves crossed the courtyard preparing a single vehicle, packing supplies, and clearing a path for their Alpha's departure. No convoy. No escort. Just the three who were allowed to attend the Gathering.
Colton stood beside the SUV, checking the engine by habit. His posture was steady, but the tension in his shoulders showed he was thinking too much.
Hailey Thorne came down the steps with a leather satchel slung over her arm. Inside were her ritual tools: herbs, mountain ash, bone markers, chalk, a small bloodstone. Everything a druid might need if the Gathering required tradition or formality.
Ronan exited the Alpha Hall last.
The courtyard straightened immediately.
He didn't speak; he didn't need to. His presence alone carried weight, and the upcoming meeting only made it heavier.
Colton closed the hood and stepped beside him.
"We're ready," he said. "Fuelled, packed, everything checked."
Ronan nodded. "Good."
Hailey adjusted her satchel. "The Council Druid will be there. Haven't seen him in years."
Colton let out a humorless breath. "And you're looking forward to that?"
"No," Hailey said. "But I like walking in with information."
Colton shook his head. "Feels like walking into a minefield."
Hailey smiled. "Only if someone steps wrong."
"Enough," Ronan said simply.
They fell silent immediately.
He opened the passenger door for Hailey. She slipped in. Colton took the driver's seat. Ronan sat behind him, giving himself a clear view of the compound through the side window.
As the engine started, the wolves in the courtyard dipped their heads.
Ronan looked over them one last time.
"You hold the line while I'm gone," he said.
"Yes, Alpha," the pack answered together.
Colton eased the SUV forward. The gates opened. The vehicle rolled onto the open road, the early light spreading across the rural horizon.
The moment they crossed out of Dominion territory, Ronan felt it—not supernatural pressure, but instinct tightening inside him. Fifty Alphas gathering would stir something primal in anyone.
Hailey glanced at him. She couldn't sense it, but she'd been his druid long enough to read the subtle shifts in his posture.
"You're not worried," she said softly. "You're preparing."
Colton looked at him through the rearview mirror. "Preparing for what?"
Ronan didn't answer at first. He watched Texas fade behind them.
"If an Alpha challenges me," Ronan said, "I'll answer."
Colton's grip tightened on the wheel. "You think one will?"
"I know one will," Ronan said.
Hailey nodded. "Elias Crowe. New Mexico's Alpha. He's been waiting for a chance."
Colton muttered, "He's stupid enough to try."
Ronan didn't respond. His hand flexed once on his knee, a quiet reminder of the evolved form under his skin. The Reaver Form never surfaced unless it needed to, but even the memory of it brought a stillness to his chest the others couldn't interpret.
Hailey noticed the tension anyway. She always did.
"Not here," she said softly. "Save it."
Colton frowned. "Save what?"
"Nothing," Ronan said.
The SUV continued west, the highway stretching endlessly ahead.
Behind them, Texas receded.
Ahead of them lay Beacon Hills.
Ahead of them lay the Nemeton.
Ahead of them lay fifty Alphas, fifty Seconds, fifty druids—and the Council Druid watching all of them.
Someone would challenge him.
Someone always did.
Ronan closed his eyes briefly, listening to the steady hum of the tires on the pavement.
The Council had called.
And he was coming.