**Ethan’s POV After several days of running with very little sleep, we decided we needed to make a camp for the night. I knew that my fighting forces could stand up against any other soldiers in the world, but even the strongest warriors would need time to restore their stamina. ‘I think this looks like a good place to bunk down and get a few hours of sleep,‘ Talon said as we reached a thicker part of the forest, several hours into our fifth day of travel. It was dark, and the stars were beginning to descend as the sun would be coming up soon enough. We‘d better take advantage of the darkness before heading into another long day tomorrow. I surveyed the area. We could take shelter against a rocky slope that would protect us from one side. We’d have to watch the other three to make sure that we weren‘t attacked from any other direction. ‘I agree,’ I said, after I finished examining the place Talon had selected. We‘d already tracked down some small game in our wolf forms earlier and eaten, so there would be no fire. The smoke would signal to others where they could find us. ‘Vicky, I suggest you stay in your wolf form,’ Talon told her. ‘But it‘s up to you.” She nodded and looked around. Vicky wasn‘t used to being outside in the elements like the guys. She wasn‘t one to complain, and I knew she wouldn‘t say a word about the ground being too hard, about being cold or hungry. However, she wasn’t like the guys who had been out in the forest fighting and knew how to make do with what they had either. ‘We need to establish a watch,’I said. ‘At least three per shift.‘ I‘ll go first,’ Richard said immediately, and he appointed Matthew and Arther to go with him. The rest of us found spots on the ground to sleep in. Almost everyone stayed close together. It was safer that way. Vicky was right next to her brother. I thought I should probably lie down on her other side, to make her more comfortable, but I wanted to walk around the perimeter first. An unsettled feeling permeated my gut, and I wasn‘t going to be able to rest until I determined its source; it seemed to be something more than just the events of the day, though those were weighing heavily on my mind. As soon as the others were sleeping, and the first watch was in their spots, I got up and went for a walk around the outskirts of the camp. I wanted to make sure that there were no unwelcome wolves anywhere near us. I walked along the edge of the woods, nodding to Richard as he patrolled his part of the perimeter. He nodded in return, and I continued on my way, cutting between the thick trees as I made my way through Matthew’s section. His eyes cut through the darkness, but he didn‘t move as he sniffed his Alpha’s scent and knew not to be concerned. When I came to Arthur‘s area of the perimeter, I stopped. I didn‘t see the third wolf anywhere, which was alarming. Was it possible some of the enemy forces had gotten close enough to pick him off? That‘s how rogues preferred to operate, after all. They liked to find one wolf out on their own and pull them out into the woods, killing them, and then strike again. Slowly, I crept forward into the trees, listening. I could smell Arthur, so I knew he had been there, but I wasn‘t sure how old the scent was. Something was different, though. I wasn‘t smelling his wolf anymore.

I was smelling... a different wolf. I turned around just in time to see another wolf coming through the trees, sprinting at me at full speed. I could tell this was one of James‘s royal guards. The scent of the capital was all over him. He had obviously been sent from James to assassinate me. I got into a defensive position. As soon as the wolf came barreling through the trees, I leaped in front of him, knocking him out of the air He hit the ground hard, but he struggled and got up again quickly and bit me on my forearm. In a split second, I had to release him, and he jumped up again.copy right hot novel pub