Chapter 54. Victory Within Reach

Jade nodded at Noah’s question about heading out. He grinned, grabbed his coat, and they started to leave just as Skyler burst through the basement door. In an instant, the atmosphere shattered. His stride was purpose-driven; his face so hard and drawn that I felt a jolt of alarm. Skyler never came to these sessions unannounced, especially not today—he was scheduled for patrol at the packhouse, duties he’d never shirked before.

My pulse doubled. He should have mind-linked to me if he was nearby. And yet I’d felt nothing. There was only the sharp scent of trouble on his fur, an undercurrent of panic that even the Nightshade Enforcers around him sensed; a tremor ran through them. Skyler’s lips were pressed into a thin line, brows furrowed. He ground out, “Pack meeting at Ravenwood. Now.”

Now. Just that single word, and my chest tightened. “Now?” I echoed, every muscle in me coiling. “All of us?”

He nodded curtly, gaze moving from me to each man behind me. “Every Alph