Chapter 86

They had crossed Ironwood in their numbers for a ‘mediation’ without formal briefing about it beforehand so he had given the order to surround the intruding enemies.

But when the Southern Ridge wolves realized they were encircled, panic had erupted. Some shifted and some didn’t, confusion seizing and dividing them.

Someone loosed an arrow, he remembered, but to this day, Cole did not know who fired first. But he remembered what he did next.

He remembered that he shifted and defended his people. And when he shifted back hours later, it was all silent. Too silent with bodies everywhere. Bodies of so many warriors.

He remembered walking through it in human form, blood cooling on his skin. Then he had seen him. Alpha Druis, unshifted and on his knees, bruised, bleeding but furious.

“You will not get away with what you’ve done to my people!” Druis had spat.

Cole had stood over him. “Your people…” he had trailed and looked around, just realising he had