Danger had sensed the bear’s presence long before it encroached on Bright Moon territory. That alien, musky scent had threaded through the atmosphere and sent alarm bells clanging incessantly within his skull, driving the dark dog to check the borders again and again and again. He’d hoped that maintaining the invisible wall would discourage the massive beast from bothering his pack; it wasn’t as if bears had been a major problem in the past, so why would one want to mess with wolves now? Unfortunately, not even Danger’s extensively paranoid efforts were enough to dissuade his enemy. That faraway scent had leeched itself into the outskirts of Bright Moon. Trees bore the horrific claw-marks only cruel talons could forge—ragged stripes that Danger felt with his paws and shuddered at the touch. When his nose had followed the first path marching its way deeper into the kingdom, cold dream shivered up his spine. This was a quiet, peaceful barracks . . . certainly not an army that deserved such a ravenous guest!

Today Danger had nearly suffered a heart attack. He’d been tracking the bear as it meandered aimlessly through the territory—but suddenly its path veered terrifyingly close to where the wolves normally convened. Dreams were now a thing of the past; the sooty soldier hadn’t slept in days, so worried he felt for the wellbeing of his family. Yeah, that’s right—his family. Hard to say when Danger had started thinking of them like that, but there you go. He might never hold a real conversation with any of them, yet the blind fool could not imagine a future in which Summer and Thea and Misty and the others did not exist. He needed to protect them. Somehow.

Summer’s fearless voice reached Danger’s audits and immediately the blue-eyed brute altered his course. Normally he would turn around and hide the moment he sensed a stranger, but today Danger trotted right up to the unknown male so he could face his king. “Danger, reporting for duty,” he mumbled, expressionless as always. He turned his muzzle slightly in Aimery’s direction, noting the fading cologne of Abendrot and deciding to not care. “And, ah, welcome to Bright Moon stranger. If you can help us out, we’ll be cool.”