Selene didn't sleep that night.
Her body ached from the training match, but her mind was wide awake, tangled in questions with no answers. The White Wolf. The rogues. Kael's strange trust in her. The way he looked at her — like she wasn't just a tool, but a piece of a puzzle he didn't know how to fit.
By sunrise, she was already dressed, boots laced tight, blades hidden at her sides.
She headed for the east patrol tower. And that was when the horns blared. A sharp, long call that echoed through the trees.
Intruder.
She sprinted toward the main gate, every step hammering like a drumbeat in her ears. Wolves were already shifting, growls splitting the air. The scent of fur, steel, and adrenaline burned her nose.
Kael was there before her, flanked by warriors in human and wolf form, his expression stone.
At the gate stood a single figure.
A woman. Cloaked. Hooded. Silent.
Selene's breath caught.
It wasn't the White Wolf. But it was someone just as dangerous.
Kael stepped forward. "You crossed into my territory without permission. Speak now or be treated like a threat."
The woman lifted her hood slowly.
And Selene's stomach dropped.
She knew that face.
Hair dark as raven wings. Eyes like polished obsidian. A long scar cutting down the side of her jaw like a silver thread.
Her name was Amara. And she wasn't just any rogue. She was once Selene's handler.
Amara smiled. "I come in peace, Alpha."
Kael didn't lower his stance. "Says the rogue standing at my gate alone."
Amara tilted her head. "Alone is better. Easier to listen without voices screaming in your ear."
Selene stepped forward before she could stop herself. "What do you want, Amara?"
Kael turned slightly, surprised. "You know her?"
Selene didn't answer.
Amara's eyes met hers. "You look well, Selene. Cleaner. Well-fed."
"I should've killed you when I had the chance," Selene said coldly.
"Maybe," Amara replied. "But then you wouldn't have known what was coming."
Kael spoke again. "You have ten seconds to explain why you're here."
Amara stepped closer, slow and calm. "Because there's a war coming, Alpha. One your pack isn't ready for. And I'm here to make sure someone survives it."
Selene's hands curled into fists. "What war?"
Amara looked at her. "The kind you can't stop. Only outlast."
Kael didn't flinch. "You came here to warn us?"
Amara looked past him, at the forest behind. "Not just warn. Trade."
Selene scoffed. "Trade what? Half-truths and riddles?"
"No." Amara's tone turned sharp. "I'll give you the name of the White Wolf."
That silenced everyone.
Even Kael.
Selene stared, blood rushing in her ears.
"You know her?" she asked.
Amara nodded. "I trained her."
Kael stepped closer now, slowly. "And what do you want in return?"
Amara looked right at Selene.
"I want her protection. For one week. No questioning. No chains. No cells. Just safety. And I'll give you a name."
Selene's jaw clenched. "You expect me to guard you?"
"I expect you to remember who you were," Amara replied softly.
Kael didn't speak for a long moment. Then he turned to Selene.
"Your call," he said. "She's your past."
Selene looked at Amara. At the woman who once held her life in her hands. Who trained her. Who betrayed her.
Her chest tightened. She could smell the danger on this. Taste the trap.
But she also knew Amara didn't lie — not when it came to names.
And if the White Wolf was really part of something bigger, they needed answers.
"Seven days," Selene said. "After that, if you're still breathing, it's a gift."
Amara smiled. "Fair enough."
Kael gave the order to stand down. The warriors reluctantly obeyed.
Selene turned on her heel and walked away.
Amara followed.
And as they passed through the gates of the strongest pack in the region, Selene had one thought hammering in her mind.
What the hell did I just let in?