#Chapter 163: Regulation Tested

The sirens didn’t sound right away. At first, it was just a feeling. The air pressure shifted slightly, and I caught the sound of footsteps moving with a precision that didn’t belong to trainees. I was observing the new hybrid patrol unit during a standard relay simulation, but something in my chest tightened before I could name it. The hairs on my arms rose. My wolf stirred, at least, I thought it was her. But lately, I had started to question that. Was it my wolf, or was it something else entirely? A deeper instinct that had nothing to do with the moon. The line between what was inherited from my father and what had awoken with my mother’s blood had started to blur. How many times had I called it my wolf when it was something older, something colder, something I didn’t yet understand? They moved with intent, sharp and coordinated, too deliberate to be part of the exercise. “Drop!” I shouted, cutting through the training comms. The rookies obeyed just as a low-level flash burs