**Parker’s Perspective**
By the time the afternoon sun began to break through, the rain had finally ceased. The air was thick with the fresh scent of damp pine needles mingling with the faint, comforting aroma of smoke curling up from the chimneys of the cabins. A peculiar quiet hung over the pack-a stillness so profound it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. It was the kind of silence that always preceded chaos, the calm before the storm.
I pushed open the heavy door of the main hall and stepped inside. Instantly, the usual buzz of activity surrounded me-voices murmuring, footsteps shuffling, the clatter of supplies being organized and packed. In the center of the room, Poppy and Paige had commandeered the long table, which was now covered with papers, boxes, and an array of medical equipment, every inch of space taken up with their work.
At the far end, Remy sat with his sleeves rolled up, his brow furrowed as he stared intently at his tablet. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days-which, knowing him, was probably true. The dark circles under his eyes were deeper than usual, but I wasn’t worried. This was Remy’s way when he was buried in a problem, unraveling a puzzle that refused to give up its secrets.
“Any word from the River Pack about their response?” I asked, setting down a box filled with blood collection kits beside him.
“They’re bringing samples of anything that remotely matches the compound Jake described,” Remy replied without looking up. “The enforcers are due to arrive tomorrow with the shipments.” He finally glanced up briefly. “No matches so far, but their healer suspects the mercury base is too refined to have been mixed by hand. He thinks it’s lab-grade.”
My jaw tightened. “So someone’s bankrolling the hunters.”
“Or they’ve got a specialist on their side,” Remy said grimly. “We’ve got people digging into it.”
I nodded slowly, the weight of the situation settling heavily on my shoulders. The thought that hunters now had access to such sophisticated toxins was chilling. Before, they were reckless-dangerous because of desperation and misguided conviction. But this? This was deliberate, calculated. Someone was supporting them, teaching them a level of precision we’d never encountered. No one dared say it aloud, but I was certain we all suspected the same thing: this was the work of powerful forces pulling the strings.
Paige looked up from the table, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “We’ve confirmed over twenty donors so far,” she said quietly. “Some are arriving soon, but most have volunteered for early morning rounds.”
“That’s good,” I said, nodding. “Sign me up for daily donations-whatever I can give without it weakening me. The more Alpha and Beta blood we can bank, the better our chances of saving lives. But we need to prioritize Callen and Ryder’s donations first, make sure we always have some reserved for them. How long can we store the blood?”
Assuming it lasts the same as animal and human blood, Poppy replied without looking up from the paperwork in her hands, “Just over a month.”
“Alright, then let’s build a solid stockpile this week and set up a monthly donation schedule after that.”
Paige jotted down notes on her pad. “I’ll coordinate with the volunteers as they come in and try to organize a rotation.”
“Thanks,” I said.
She smiled at me, but I could see the exhaustion lurking behind her eyes. The shadows from last night’s ordeal still clung to her, and I couldn’t blame her. Watching Ryder nearly die had left a scar on all of us, but on her, it seemed to have cut even deeper.
Remy’s voice broke through the silence. “Parker, can you do a final patrol around the perimeter with two of the Midnight enforcers before we let them go out alone?”
“On it.”
“Take Leo if he’s up to it,” Remy added. “He’s been pacing nonstop since Jake cleared him for patrol duty.”
“Perfect,” I said with a small grin. “He needs something to burn off that restless energy.”
Remy nodded and turned back to his screen.
Before heading out, I stopped by Paige, who was now sorting medical supplies into smaller boxes, carefully labeling each one. “Don’t spend all day on this-you need a break,” I said softly.
“I’m fine,” she insisted. “Keeping busy helps.”
I reached out and gently took her hand before she could grab another label. “He’s going to be okay. You know that, right?”
Her eyes locked onto mine, and for a brief moment, the tough exterior slipped away. “I almost lost him, Parker.”
“I know,” I whispered. “But you didn’t.”
She exhaled slowly and gave a small nod. “Be careful out there, Parker. I love you.”
“Always,” I replied, squeezing her hand once more before stepping back. “And I love you too.”
Leo met me near the southern trailhead, accompanied by two of Midnight’s enforcers. Both wolves were lean, dark-furred, and sharp-eyed-the kind of wolves who moved like shadows, perfect for the enforcer role.
“You sure you’re ready for this?” I asked Leo through the mind-link.
“Better than sitting around pretending to rest,” he replied. “If I don’t get out soon, I swear I’ll start climbing the walls.”
“Fair enough. Let’s move.”
We spread out in formation: I took point, Leo moved to my left, and the Midnight wolves flanked behind us. The rain-soaked earth beneath our feet softened the sound of our steps as we stayed within the border markers. We scanned the ground carefully for any signs of hunters. They’d gotten smarter about covering their tracks lately, which made me certain the evidence we’d found yesterday was left deliberately-as a message.
Halfway down the southern line, Leo connected with me again. “Check this out.”
I moved closer. At first, I didn’t see anything, but then a faint metallic glint caught my eye. Embedded in the muddy soil near the base of a tree lay a small, flat bullet, its edges scorched black.
“Looks like the one Ryder sent back last night,” Leo said.
I shifted back into my human form and crouched, using a stick to nudge it gently. The metal was pitted and dull, but a faint residue shimmered in one of the grooves. Even in the dim light, I could make out the silvery sheen.
“Don’t touch it,” I warned. “Jake said even trace contact can seep through the skin.”
Leo grabbed a longer stick and jabbed it into the ground beside the bullet to mark the spot. “They must be using silencers. Patrol would’ve heard the shot for miles otherwise.”
“I’ll send someone out here to collect it,” I said quietly.
One of the Midnight wolves came up beside us, sniffing the air. “This isn’t old. Maybe a day or two at most. Whoever fired it wasn’t hunting deer.”
I nodded, scanning the trees beyond the border for any movement. “Stay sharp. Let’s keep moving.”
By the time we completed our loop and returned to the pack center, the sky had deepened into a rich purple hue. Warm light spilled from the cabin windows, and smoke rose steadily from the chimneys. It should have felt safe, but my gut remained unsettled.
I’d heard earlier that Ryder and Callen had returned home with Paige and Jaxon. I wanted to be there with them, but with both Alphas on rest, there was still too much to do.
Inside the healer’s cabin, Jake was at the counter, running another sample test while Remy paced behind him.
“Find anything new?” Remy asked as I entered.
“Nothing yet,” I replied, shaking my head. “Did you test the bullet?”
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