Page 25 of Fated Wolf's Destiny

I nod, my jaw tightening. “They’re testing us. Pushing the boundaries to see how far they can go before we push back.”

“And you’re just going to let them?” he challenges, glancing over his shoulder at me.

“For now,” I say, my voice grim. “One thing I learned in my time in the military: don’t engage your opponent until you know everything about them you can find. At this point we don’t knowwhat they truly are, how they came to be, what they want, or who’s behind them. Way too many unknowns.”

“What are you doing about that?”

“I have some of our people trying to track them down. I’m talking to the other alphas…”

“Oh God, the Elders will have a fit.”

“As I’ve said before, fuck the Elders. We need information more than we need outdated rules and feuds. It doesn’t serve any of us.”

Lucas doesn’t argue, but I can feel his frustration simmering beneath the surface. I get it. I feel it too. There’s a connection between the Crimson Claw and Arthur’s death—I can feel it—but I don’t have all the pieces yet. Who knows? Maybe even the declining birthrate is a part of it.

We move in silence for a while, the only sounds the rustle of leaves underfoot and the faint whisper of the wind moving through the branches of the trees. The scent grows stronger, more distinct, and I know we’re close.

Lucas stops suddenly, his head snapping to the side. I catch it too—the faint sound of paws on the ground, deliberate and cautious. My wolf pushes forward, the growl rumbling low in my chest as I scan the shadows.

“They’re circling,” Lucas murmurs. “Two, maybe three of them.”

“Then let’s make sure they know we’re here.”

I step forward, letting my wolf rise to the surface, allowing the swirling mist to begin to envelop my body, shifting just enough to let the feral edge of my presence ripple through the air. A warning. The sound stops, and I halt my shift before it can take over.

The mutants know we’re close now, and after a long, tense moment, the wind shifts, carrying their scent away with it.

“Cowards,” Lucas mutters, but his voice is still wary.

“They’re not ready for a fight, either,” I say, though the words feel hollow. “Not yet.”

Lucas relaxes slightly, his shoulders dropping. “If they’re this close to Shadow Hollow, we need to make sure the others know.”

“I’ll handle it,” I cut in, my tone firm.

Lucas studies me and then nods. As Lucas heads back toward the lodge and surrounding estate, a part of the pack’s main territory, I linger, my feet carrying me to the edge of the forest where the trees thin and Bella’s clinic comes into view. The lights inside are off now, the building quiet, but her scent still lingers in the air—soft, warm, unmistakably her.

I stop just short of the tree line, my wolf pacing restlessly beneath my skin. The pull toward her is relentless, stronger than I expected it to be. It’s more than curiosity, more than duty. It’s something raw, primal, and it’s only growing harder to ignore.

She might not be pack, but she’s mine, and I will claim her.

The Crimson Claw was too close tonight. Too close to her. The thought of them circling her property, their scent mixing with hers, sends a fresh wave of anger surging through me. I clench my fists, fighting the urge to charge back into the forest and hunt them down.

I’ve tried convincing myself she’s just a woman—a human for the most part—but it’s a lie, and I know it. Bella is so much more. She’s fire and stubbornness and a thousand questions that cut too close to the truth. She’s a gale force waiting to explode, and I’m standing in its path.

But tonight, as the forest shifts and the danger grows, one thing becomes clear: I can’t let anything happen to her. Not the Crimson Claw. Not the pack. I’ll protect her, even if it means breaking every damn rule in the book.

A soft movement catches my attention—a shadow at the window. Bella. She’s standing just behind the glass, her silhouette outlined by the faint glow of moonlight. She’swatching the forest, her posture tense, like she knows something’s out here.

I let myself look, let the pull of her steady me even as it threatens to undo me. Then I step back into the shadows, the trees swallowing me whole.

The Crimson Claw will be back. I can feel it. And when they return, they’ll find out exactly what happens when they get too close to something that’s mine.

CHAPTER 9

ISABELLA

The clinic is quiet, the low hum of the fluorescent lights above the exam room the only sound. I’m finishing up reorganizing the last of the medical supplies when the bell over the front door jingles. I glance up, expecting one of the locals with their farm animals or pets, but it’s Lucas. He’s carrying a dog—a small, white, scruffy mutt with matted fur.

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