"Word from whom?" Thessian's voice dropped even lower, more dangerous.
"Anonymous contact," the first one said. "Encrypted message. Coordinates of this cabin. Instructions to eliminate the human and... and extract you if you resisted."
"Extract me," Thessian repeated, the words heavy with implications.
"For your own safety," the scarred one added quickly. "That's what they said. That you were under her influence somehow. That we'd be saving you."
Liora watched from the window, her heart pounding. They'd been set up. Someone had sent these rogues here specifically to attack, to test Thessian's defenses, to see if he'd kill his own kind defending her.
"You realize now it was a setup," Thessian said, not a question.
"Yes, Alpha King." Several of them spoke at once, voices overlapping in desperate agreement. "We understand. We were used. We threw ourselves at a Lycan King without understanding...."
