The morning arrived slowly over Regina, and pale sunlight spilled across the long stone courtyard while the wolves of the pack gathered one by one near the training grounds, their quiet conversations drifting through the cool air as rumors passed between them like restless birds searching for somewhere to land.
Two lines of murmured tension spread through the crowd.
"He's really here."
"What the hell does he want."
Victor Salazar stood near the center of the courtyard with his arms folded across his chest, his tall frame steady as iron while his sharp dark eyes scanned the gathered wolves with the calm authority of someone who had already learned that leadership required patience more often than aggression.
Three lines of silence lingered between him and the wolves watching from the edges of the courtyard.
Because they were waiting.
Waiting for the man who had arrived at the territory gates just after dawn.
