Forever Luna

threshold

noun ~ the magnitude or intensity that must be exceeded for a certain reaction, phenomenon, result, or condition to occur

PHOENIX 

The moment the patrol alert reached me, I knew something was wrong. It wasn't the usual type of wrong, such as a rogue wandering too close to territory, or a lost traveller pushing past the boundaries; this one was deliberate.

I could feel it ripple through the patrol link like a tightening wire.

'Alpha...' Josh called through the link. 'It's... Aldren Cyrus? What do you want us to do?'

Let them through. I'm on my way.

I straightened from my chair, scanning the treeline through my office window. Nova was still training, but I knew it wouldn't be long before she was on her way. Sean had already stiffened, and I took that as my cue to dart from my office and run towards the long dirt road that led towards the gates.

Around me, the pack had already begun to quiet, wolves pausing mid-exercise as instinct sharpened the air. It didn't take long for Nova and Sean to find me, both of them covered in a fine sheen of sweat. Despite the situation, I couldn't help but admire Nova in her exercise gear, my eyes lingering on the woman I called my soul.

Her presence brushed mine through the bond; alert and focused, before her attention shifted to something deeper moving beneath the surface of her expression. Sean stepped to my right, already shifting his attention toward strategy instead of drills. He caught my eye, picking up on Nova's odd expression too.

"Phoenix." She whispered. "One of them is Aldren. I can sense him."

I nodded. "Good. That's what the patrol said. What about the others?"

Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to reach the approaching wolves. It was good practice for her to use her gifts, especially considering the distance was too far for a wolf's nose to reach.

My wolf was already awake beneath my skin, restless as we waited for the three stragglers to reach us. Nova remained close to my side, her hand secure in my own. I tuned into my patrol, noticing the odd calm coming from the three intruders. It definitely looked like Aldren and dare I even say Cors.

Nova's breath hitched, and I quickly turned my attention to her. The bond was cracked open, a sliver of light through a door that let me inside her thoughts. Her worry and concern overpowered any fear, and my lips pursed with thought as she thought about the third stranger.

Kasper.

The man who teased my borders, the man who attacked Cors in Nova's vision.

I stiffened, pulling my mate to a stop as the three grew closer. The stale scent of blood caught in the air, dragging their scents closer. They smelled of earth and sweat, of hard work and tension, and I had to chew down the growl that bubbled in my throat when I recognised the herby hint of scent removers.

The three figures were approaching through the trees, slow and unhurried, unusually so. Anyone with half a brain knew you didn't stroll into another alpha's land like you owned the forest.

My gaze narrowed. Nova's other hand brushed my arm.

"This isn't what I expected." She muttered.

Aldren was no threat, but Cors was a wildcard. And Kasper, the new wolf, the rogue that stepped into my land with his head raised... He was a mystery.

Still, I didn't lower my guard.

They stopped before us, and my instincts sharpened, taking in the old and healing wounds. Cors, much like Nova, continued to bleed, his fresher cuts hardly scabbing over.