Chapter 169

BETA ARCHER The morning mist still shrouded the Nightveil border forest when I received the report from the night patrol. Gamma Ethan's face looked serious as he stepped into my small office at the northern guard post. “Beta,” he said, his voice low and alert. “There's something you need to see.” I set down the coffee cup I had just picked up, staring at him sharply. “What's going on?” Ethan spread out a map of the border region on the table, pointing to several spots marked with red circles. “Over the last three nights, our patrols have detected traces of foreign wolves in this area, this one, and this one.” His finger moved from one spot to another. “They haven't crossed into our territory, but they're... stalking.” I furrowed my brow, leaning closer to the map. “Stalking? How many?” “At least four to five different wolves,” Ethan replied. "We found footprints, scratch marks on trees, and an unfamiliar scent. They're moving around, as if they're mapping our territory.“ A feeling of u