Page 68 of Noah

I turned, muscles coiling tight, my wolf pushing at the surface. The scent from earlier—the one I’d caught in the pack house—hit me again, stronger this time.

Not a pack mate. Not someone familiar.

A stranger.

My heart pounded as I locked eyes with the man standing a few feet away. He was tall, broad-shouldered, his stance too confident, too assured.

His gaze slid over me, assessing, and then a smirk curled his lips.

“Didn’t mean to startle you,” he said smoothly.

His voice was low, unhurried, like we were old friends catching up instead of two strangers meeting under tense circumstances.

I didn’t relax. “Who are you?”

The smirk widened just a fraction. “Just a visitor.”

I didn’t buy that for a second. My wolf growled, restless, demanding action. I clenched my fists to steady myself.

“Pack affiliation?” I asked, my tone hard.

He tilted his head slightly, like I’d amused him. “Does it matter?”

Yes. It did.

I didn’t like the way he was standing there, as if he had all the time in the world. As if he wasn’t worried about being caught lurking around a pack’s territory uninvited.

That meant one of two things—either he was stupid, or he was dangerous.

Judging by the way my instincts screamed at me, I was betting on the latter.

I reached for my phone, intending to text Griffin or Jackson. Before I could, the stranger took a step closer.

“Relax,” he murmured. “I just want to talk.”

“I don’t.”

His smile didn’t waver, but something in his eyes darkened. “That’s a shame.”

Something shifted in his posture. A subtle change, but my wolf caught it instantly. A tell. A predator about to strike.

I braced myself.

Then he lunged.

I barely dodged in time, twisting to the side as he reached for me. A snarl ripped from my throat, my vision sharpening as my wolf pushed forward, ready to fight.

The stranger didn’t hesitate. He came at me again, faster this time. I blocked his arm, shoving him back with all the strength I had, but he recovered too quickly.

His next attack was brutal—a hard punch aimed at my ribs. I barely managed to deflect it, but the force still sent pain rattling through my bones.

I needed to shift. Now.

Snarling, I let my claws extend, my muscles coiling as I prepared to strike back. But then, before I could make my move, something sharp pricked my neck.

Ice flooded my veins.

No.

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