LUCAS
The air is thick with tension as we approach the heart of the Blackwood pack lands. Every step is calculated, every movement deliberate. One false move can jeopardize everything. A single shifter can alert an entire pack.
I can't afford that.
Not when Ava's life hangs in the balance.
Vester moves like a wraith beside me, his footfalls silent despite the underbrush beneath our boots. The four shifters flanking us are some of the most loyal and strongest members of the pack, well-versed in reconnaissance. Between their skills and the scent diffusers coating us to avoid detection, we make it through their territory without incident.
Our cars are still in White Peak, so getting Ava out will be an ordeal, especially since she can't shift. Alpha Xavier's offer of help has come in handy; once we get her, we just have to call in a distraction.
