The patrol goes on without a hitch. I sense nothing out of the ordinary, but given that I'm unfamiliar with the territory, it's harder to pick up on anything unusual.

Since we are guests, Clyde only has us patrol for three hours, while everyone else has a six-hour shift. Rick comes to relieve us and finish the remaining three hours before someone else from the Silver Star takes over for six hours.

I'm surprised when Rick comes alone. I look around for Alicia, expecting her to show up behind him, but when she doesn't, confusion curls my tail between my legs. I want to ask where she is, but details aren't a concern in a wolf's mind. He might just snap at me if I attempt to bring her up.

Evan is quiet after we shift back into human form and go inside to shower. My stomach flip-flops as I watch him wordlessly disappear into one of the bathrooms on our floor.

What could be on his mind? Is he wondering about the things his parents want to talk to him? I sure am.

A small part of me can't help but be a little worried that it has something to do with me since I am a half-breed or hybrid, as Evan inadvertently put it earlier. But what does that make him if not a purebred?

Maybe he's worried about the rogues? What if they want him to stay longer with the Silver Star Pack until the concerns with the rogues have passed? I don't want to leave him here, but our pack is too small for both of us to leave. What if the rogues turned their attention onto us? Our numbers are far smaller than the Silver Star's. We'd never be able to effectively protect ourselves against them.

I step into the shower in the second bathroom in the hallway and let the hot water fall upon me. Sighing into the soothing stream, my mind clears of all concerns and the tension in my shoulders relaxes.

No doubt Rick and Alicia are worried about the rogues setting their sights on our land as well. We are a smaller pack with lots of land. It would be a lot easier for them to-

I shake my head. I need to stop thinking like this.

Filling my mind with thoughts about the feast for the remainder of my shower, I look forward to eating venison again with not only my pack, but Evan's family and Alicia and Keith's family as well.

Slipping one of my favorite songs into my head, I hum along as I get out of the shower and towel myself dry.

When I exit the bathroom, Evan's no longer in the other one and he's not in our room.

Frowning, I head downstairs. I check the dining hall, but he's not in there. A twinge of pain pricks my heart when I realise that he didn't wait for me. I'm not sure where he could have taken off to. Why wouldn't he wait for me, or leave a note to tell me where he went? I don't know this place, or where to find anyone I know.

And I certainly don't want to run into Burk or anyone else like him.

Opening the front door, I step outside to the gray morning. Rain is evident by the appearance of the rolling clouds overhead and the scent of moist leaves on the cool breeze. Mist hangs over the treetops in the distance, blanketing the mountains in an ominous haze.

The first day of fall is already proving to be a dreary one.

I don't have to look far to find my mate. He's sitting on one of the long benches surrounding the fire pit in the middle of the village. His back is hunched as he leans forward, watching the small flames of the continuously burning fire.

Relief releases the air I wasn't aware that I had been holding. I step up to him and place a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, there you are."

He doesn't look up at me, but keeps his head lowered. "Hey," he says, his voice low. "Sorry, I just needed some fresh air."

I sit down next to him, feeling a twang of pain and guilt for mentally accusing him of abandoning me when he's so clearly upset about something. I lean against him, wrapping my arm under his, and resting my head on his shoulder. "What's wrong? You know you can tell me anything."

The fire flickers in the reflection of his eyes until he closes them with a sigh. "I know. It's just... There are only a few things that really worry my mom and dad. I don't know for sure what it is they want to talk about, but..."

"But?" I prompt when he pauses.

He clutches his head in his left hand, leaning on his elbow on his knee. He breathes in deeply and exhales. I rub his bicep, trying not to feel overcome by his distress, but it's hard. It hurts to see him like this. I want to do something, anything, to make him feel better and see him smile again.

Just when I think he's about to speak, a voice calls out. "Hey, Evan?"

We look up and see Owen walking toward us from the other side of the fire pit. He looks a little haggard. His blond hair is ruffled and there's dirt on his hands and clothes.

The subject dropped for now, we get to our feet and nod our heads in respect to the future alpha of the Silver Star Pack.

"I'm gathering a bunch of shifters to go out hunting for the feast tonight. Interested?"

Evan chews on his bottom lip, but nods. "Sure."

His lack of enthusiasm leads me to suspect that he doesn't really care what he does, but doing something is better than sitting around and moping. While I agree, I'm aware that my name wasn't included in the request and I hang my head, twisting my fingers together. What am I going to do if Evan goes off to hunt?

Owen gives Evan a curt nod. "Great." He turns to me next, catching me off guard. "Alicia is looking for you. You can find her in the nursery. Do you know where it is?"

I try not to stutter as I look from Owen to Evan. "Oh, uh, yeah. I'll go there right now." I turn to Evan. "So, I'll see you later?"

"Yeah."

I give his hand a squeeze before leaving, but he doesn't squeeze back. I try not to take it to heart, reminding myself that he's still hurting, but it doesn't ease the pain in my own heart.

When I arrive at the nursery, Alicia explains that she has to leave for a meeting and needs me to watch the young children. I spend the next two hours there before she comes back, looking nervous.

I hurry to her in the doorway when she enters. Her hands hang stiffly down against her thighs. My first thoughts jump to the rogues. "What's wrong, Alpha? Is it the rogues?"

"Zara, I..." She purses her naturally pink lips, which seem to be a deeper hue due to her blanched skin. She looks away, watching her nieces and nephew. Baby Willow is asleep in a cradle, while her older brother and sister play with blocks and dolls. "It isn't supposed to be like this. This should be a happy time, a time for celebration, not bumping up security and rising fear of rogue attacks."

My eyes widen as her hazel-green ones mist over. Alicia can't be upset; she's the pack's rock. She's the strong one. Rick needs her to be strong.

I reach out to her with one hand, only to hold myself back. I have no words of comfort to offer her because I have no idea what the situation out there is. I have never encountered such a threat before, and I don't know what to expect or how to improve the circumstances. What can I say? That everything will be okay?

"Emily," she says, turning and dashing away.

Her abruptness leaves me standing there at a loss for words.

What is going on here? Everyone is falling apart at the seams and I have no idea just how bad it is, but it's not inspiring confidence in myself, or anyone else for that matter.

Before I can dwell on it, Vira tugs on the hem of my T-shirt.

"Zee, come play with me and Petro."

Pushing the imminent concerns to the back of my mind, I force a smile into my face. "Okay. What are we playing?"

...

As evening approaches, I'm called to help prepare dinner. Normally, Leah explained, the guests are not required to help prepare the feast. However, since everyone is working double time with patrol duty, extra hands are greatly appreciated.

I don't mind, as it gives me something to do and keep my mind off Evan and the others, and everything else that's going on outside of the village.

After peeling probably a hundred potatoes, I'm shooed out of the kitchen and left to my own devices again. Luckily, Evan comes back by then and we sit down together around the campfire once more. The benches are still damp in places from the sprinkle of rain we got around noon. It let up quickly, but the sky remained gray all afternoon, even now as the sun is nearing the horizon.

"I spoke with my parents," he says beside me, twisting a blade of grass between his fingers before flicking it away.

I scoot closer to hear what he has to say, my breath catching in my throat. "And?"

"Brianna's coming back with us and joining our pack."

My eyebrows fly up. While I'm glad Brianna's going to join us, I don't understand why this should stress them out as much as they seemed earlier today. Moreover, Evan still isn't calm. There has to be something else going on because there's still holes in this story he's telling me.

"That's cool. What else did they say?"

His gaze remains on the ground while he chews on his bottom lip. Yeah, something else is definitely going on still. He exhales, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It's my brother."

I watch as his Adam's apple struggles to rise and fall in his throat. "What about Joshua?"

He shakes his head, squeezing his eyes shut. "No, not Josh. My other brother."

A piercing howl cuts through the air, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up on end. More follow in a frenzy shrill chorus in the distance, travelling around the territory, and announcing what we've all been dreading.

The rogues have invaded.