Chapter 16

My breath hitched, and Conri flicked his ears. “Relax, Rieka, this is the Wolfsbane pack.” Conri stopped a reasonable, respectful distance away, allowing the shifters to step out of the shadows and come to him. A smaller Shifter with black fur, orange splotches, and an orange tail stepped forward. I had never seen markings like hers before, but she was beautiful. She stopped before Conri and bowed low to the ground. The she-wolf’s front legs stretched in front of her, her head rolling to the side to bare her neck to him.

“Alpha King, thank you for coming.” She spoke soft and sweet, her voice like honey. “My name is Alpine, Gamma to the Wolfsbane Pack, and I would like to welcome you to our home.” Conri never faltered from his straightened posture, the façade of the Alpha King that all the packs had come to know. “Allow me to take you to our camp. Our Alpha is waiting for you.” Keeping low to the ground for a second longer, Alpine rose and turned to lead further down the path. As we