The forest did not erupt into violence the way every wolf expected it might, for the flashlights halted beyond the outer ridge while the strange humans whispered among themselves with cautious uncertainty, and the tension that had tightened every muscle in Alessandro's body slowly eased just enough for reason to return to a mind that had been ready moments earlier to tear the night apart if necessary.
A long minute passed.
Then another.
The lights retreated slightly deeper into the trees.
Luca exhaled slowly.
"Well… shit."
The word slipped from him like air escaping a cracked pipe.
"Looks like they're not charging the gates tonight."
One of the patrol wolves muttered quietly behind him.
"Thank the moon."
Alessandro kept watching the forest while the last faint glimmers of flashlight beams disappeared between the dark trunks like ghosts retreating reluctantly from forbidden territory.
"They're scouting," he said calmly.
Luca nodded.
"Yeah."
