For Taylor, the trip back to Halcyon was far more stressful than the trip to Shaderunner. From the very first night, when she bid a tearful goodbye to Sarah and Cain, she had been restless and anxious for the trip to be over. Within hours, she had conjured up a fantasy wherein they uncovered a dimensional portal that would spit them out right on the edge of the Halcyon lake, and then another where a flock of eagles swooped down to fly them the rest of the way, a la Lord of the Rings.

Part of it was her yearning to be reunited with Fawn. She missed Alder immensely, but he at least understood where she was and had a vague idea of how soon she'd be back. Her poor little pup had no clue where mama or her big brother had gone. She didn't know what was worse, imagining that Fawn was distraught over her mother's absence, or that after a few days, the toddler had simply forgotten her.

She was also stressed over the two pups she did have. When he was in his wolf form, Taylor could relax and not fret too much over Shadow. But no matter how big he was, he still got tired more easily than his traveling companions. They stopped frequently so that he could shift and be dressed. Then, he would climb onto Hale's back and snuggle up Taylor for a nap. The problem was, Shadow hated clothing, and although he would tolerate it while awake, as soon as he fell asleep he would unconsciously begin seeking to rid himself of it. The second he began to snore, the battle started, and Taylor was constantly stuffing his ice-cold appendages back into his clothing, while also juggling an infant.

During the trip, Henry was much more alert than he had been back in the womb-like confines of the den. This was its own, special sort of frustration, because he turned out to be a very sweet, cuddly, and engaging baby, and Taylor wanted nothing more than for him to go into a week-long coma.

Much like his new brother, Henry hated being clothed. Was it a wolf pup thing? Taylor had no idea. She tried keeping him tucked in her shirt, which he enjoyed while he was nursing, but once he was finished eating, he would set to the task of wriggling out to get a look at where they were and what was going on. Sarah had given Taylor several little buckskin outfits for him, including a knitted cap to keep his head warm. Keeping the hat on him was an exercise in futility. He shook it off so often that Taylor had to designate Shadow as the official hat collector.

On day four, he managed to fling the hat onto a partially frozen pond while they were stopped for water. Heedless of his parents' cries, Shadow had charged headlong into the pond to collect the hat. Thankfully, the water hadn't been deep and Hale had been quick to catch his son, but they had to seek shelter immediately to dry him up and regulate his body temperature. It had set them back almost a full day.

After eight nights of trying to keep her babies from freezing to death, Taylor nearly cried at the sight of the twin peaks of Whiteriver and Halcyon. It was early morning, and they were still far off in the distance. Knowing that the others would want to stop for the day, she had to beg Hale to press on and travel through the morning. They must have all been as eager as her to be home because they were crossing into the valley by late afternoon.

Taylor braced herself for Alder's arrival and was prepared to fling herself from Hale's back the second she saw him. She had already managed to wrangle both Shadow and Henry into clothing, and the older pup was placated with being allowed to hold the baby, who looked a lot bigger in Shadow's arms.

There were distinct territory markers that showed where Halcyon began. Over the years, Alder and Hale had painstakingly circumnavigated their territory, which spanned thousands of acres, and carved out the markings on nearly every tree trunk that was on their border. Those were simply the warning markers. Another mile in was the second ring which indicated that they were now officially within the Halcyon hunting grounds.

When they passed through the second set of markers with no sign of Alder or of any of their pack mates, Taylor began to grow anxious. Encumbered by baggage and pups, they were going slow enough that Alder, running on his own, should have been able to meet them by now. Fenix, or one of the many scouts, would have already alerted him to their arrival. Taylor decided that maybe he was bringing Fawn with him, which would account for why he was so late.

Hale must have been worried, too. After a few moments, he stopped, exchanged looks with his companions, and then threw his head back to howl. Even knowing it was coming, the sound startled Taylor. She clutched both of the boys to her chest and kept them that way as she waited for Alder's reply.

For a while, there was only silence, and then Henry began to cry. Shadow tried soothing him, patting his back a little too hard and sounding an awful lot like Taylor as he said, “Awh, don't cry, baby.”

Recognizing that the pup wanted food, she gingerly extracted him from Shadow's hold, giving her older son a reassuring kiss on the top of the head, and then tucking Henry into the crook of her arm. She uncovered her breast, hissing as the cold air hit her, and then sighing in relief as the pup's warm mouth closed over her nipple.

Her relief was compounded when a moment later, she heard Alder's distinct howl in the distance. Her group, however, did not seem placated. While Taylor knew that it was Alder howling, she had yet to understand the meaning between the different types of howls and for that reason, she didn't know why they seemed agitated. Ever-attentive to his mother, Shadow picked up on her confusion.

“That was Papa,” he said with barely contained excitement. “He says we have visitors.”

“Really?” Taylor said.

She suspected that the group had picked up on some sort of connotation that went over Shadow's head, which explained why they seemed agitated. Glenn and Holly picked up their pace, going ahead of the others, while Hale changed his course, heading in the direction of Taylor's cabin, rather than the den.

Taylor knew that they wouldn't have been agitated over the presence of neighbors such as Winter, Trace, or even Silas. There was another nearby alpha that they sometimes butted heads with, but Taylor couldn't envision any circumstances under which he would have come to their den, so she was left to puzzle over it as they made their way to the cabin.

Her squat redwood cabin had been in the valley for half a century. It had belonged to Holly's mother, who had passed away years before Taylor had come along. She had claimed it before becoming Alder and Hale's mate, fixing it up and making it her own. It had been a painstaking process, considering she couldn't exactly go to a local hardware store to get her materials. Instead, she'd had to do a lot of improvising and a great deal of trial and error, but over the years she'd managed to whip it into shape, much to the dismay of her mates, both of whom would have rather she stayed tucked away in the den.

There was still no sign of Alder when Hale dropped Taylor off on the porch. She tried asking her mate what was happening, but Hale only licked her face, issued a warning bark to Shadow, and then ran in the direction of the den.

Karin stayed behind, shrugging their bags from her back and shifting into her human form. Taylor shuffled Shadow into the quiet cabin, entrusting him with Henry and then closing the door behind them. She went across the snow-covered lawn to Karin, accosting her as she was dressing.

“What's going on?” Taylor asked in a loud whisper. “Is everything okay? Is there...is Fawn okay?”

Karin's eyes widened. “I believe so. Alder only mentioned that there are newcomers. Not hostile, but not friends.”

“What are they doing in the den?” Taylor asked. “No one's ever allowed in the den unless Alder or Hale know them well.”

Karin was securing her pants. “I'm sorry, I wish I knew more. I can say that I don't recognize the scents in the air, and one of them is...strange. We should stay put until one of the alphas comes for us.”

Taylor wanted so badly to march after Hale and go the den, but she could see Shadow peeking at them from the window, a worried look on his face. She couldn't leave Karin alone to tend to him and the baby, and she had no idea what she'd be walking into if she did go to the den. She had to trust that Fawn was all right and that her mates were handling the situation.

She would give them until sunset to bring her daughter to her, which gave them about twenty minutes until she was storming the den.

* * *

Running in his wolf form, Hale arrived at the den's entrance in moments. It was a testament to how secure their territory was that they could have such an exposed den. Whereas most shifters took painstaking efforts to obscure the entrance to their den and to cover their tracks as they came and went, the entrance to Halcyon den was a massive oval-shaped hole in the side of the mountain, and the path leading to it had been recently cobbled with river stones.

Unlike Cain, who had to make nice with his neighbors and pay tribute at the whim of stronger packs, Halcyon had never had any competition. Over a hundred strong and with two capable alphas, it would have taken all three of the other packs in the region joining forces to pose any real challenge to Halcyon.

As he neared the eye of the den, Fenix stepped out and made his way down the hill to meet him. Alder often said that the real strength of Halcyon was in its diversity, and Fenix was a prime example. Though hawk shifters were solitary by nature, Fenix had lived in the valley all of his life and had joined up with Alder and Hale when they'd taken the territory by force. Afterwards, he'd hung around the den and had remained in the pack ever since.

Hale didn't want to take human form, but he could tell from the look on Fenix's face that he wanted to talk. Although he was inclined to charge into the den, he decided that he should know what he was charging into.

Fenix waited for him to shift and then offered Hale his cloak. Hale accepted, wrapping it around his midsection.

“What's going on? Where are Fawn and Alder?” His voice was still raw and gravelly from the shift.

“Fawn is fine,” Fenix said, recognizing that she was Hale's primary concern. “She's down below with Beka and Quinn, resting. Your brother is in the main room with the newcomers. It's an alpha and three of his pack mates. They arrived this morning, looking for Taylor.”

The mention of Taylor heated Hale's blood. “What the fuck do they want with my mate?”

He was already stalking up the hill, and Fenix had to run to keep up. “They claim that they have a pup that needs tending to. No one has seen or heard it, so I'm skeptical. Their alpha, there's something off about him. He talks like an asshole and I don't trust him.”

Hale refused to entertain the notion of yet another pup being passed off onto them. In his mind, it sounded like an obvious ploy. The sort of thing his brother might fall for, but not him.

“Why the hell did Alder let them into our den?”

Fenix shrugged. “There are only four of them, and two of them look like a stiff wind could knock them over. Didn't seem like too much of a threat.”

That might have been the case, but Hale wasn't so sure that meant they were safe. He thought back to the colossus he'd seen with Cain. Was it the same scent that he smelled today, or was his nose playing tricks on him?

As they stepped into the eye of the cave, Hale's gaze sought out his brother. As always, he found Alder in an instant. He sat far in the back of the cavern, cross-legged in front of a roaring bonfire. Holly had arrived already and stood to one side of him. Their beta Laurel was on the other. Across from them were two unfamiliar wolves, who looked as different as any pair could.

One was thin, short, and prematurely balding. He wore several layers of clothes over his slight frame and his facial features were crowded towards the center of his head. Hale immediately picked up on his nervous twitch, and the way his eyes moved anxiously from Alder to his alpha.

There was no doubt that the male sitting next to him was his alpha. The first thing that struck Hale was his height. The alpha not only dwarfed his companion but even leaning back on one arm, he looked to be a full head taller than Alder. He had long, brown hair that was tied in a knot at the back of his head and wore only a fur that was draped over one side of his large, tattooed body. He was staring at Holly, his lips quirked.

“Where are the other two?” Hale asked quietly.

“Resting in the lower chambers with the alleged pup. They're being watched closely.”

The alpha said something that Hale couldn't make out. His smile widened as Alder's jaw clenched and Holly looked away, blushing. As she turned away, Holly became the first to notice Hale's approach, and she tapped Alder on the shoulder, motioning in Hale's direction. Alder stood at once, relief evident on his face.

He met Hale just before Hale reached the bonfire, pulling him into a tight embrace. Any semblance of a warm reunion was tarnished as Alder murmured, “Keep quiet and let me talk.”

“Good to see you, too,” Hale grunted, shoving past him.

Annoyed as he was, Hale always felt a surge of confidence as he stood beside his twin. Given that he already possessed an abundance of confidence, this could sometimes prove problematic.

“This is my brother, Hale. Hale, this is Oslo and Shan,” Alder said, motioning towards the smaller male, and then the alpha.

Hale felt his confidence drain from him in a rush as Shan's cool, jade eyes looked him up and down. A chill of recognition ran down his spine.

“I believe our paths have crossed before,” Shan said.

Images of Yewen's pack flashed before Hale's eyes, and he cursed Alder for letting this male into their den and then cursed himself for leaving Taylor and Shadow. Never in his life had he been one to run from a fight, but at the moment all he wanted was to collect his mate and his pups and put as much distance as possible between them and this male.

“What are you doing here?” Hale asked, unable to hide his malice. Beside him, he could see Alder tensing.

Seemingly indifferent to Hale's mounting fury, Shan regarded him mildly. “As I told your brother, I have come into possession of a newborn pup. Your pack is the first I've encountered with a viable female to nurse it.”

“If you wanted a viable female, then maybe you shouldn't have butchered its mother,” Hale shot back.

The room fell silent for an instant, and then nearly everyone began talking at once. Fenix expressed his incredulity, Alder demanded an explanation, and Holly uttered several choice curses at Hale. The morning that they'd left Shaderunner, he had told the adults in his group about the killings in Yewen's territory but had purposely glazed over the ugly details, mostly for Taylor's benefit. He had said nothing further on the matter to any of his pack mates, and he hadn't mentioned the giant wolf which was the sort of thing that had to be seen to be believed.

Through the ensuing outbursts, Shan remained silent and undaunted, but his companion had gone red in the face.

“We did no such thing,” Oslo seethed, punctuating each syllable with his outrage. “How dare you—”

Shan lifted a hand, and Oslo immediately fell silent, though his slight form still trembled.

Alder's hands were fisted as he addressed Shan. “What is this? Why didn't you tell me that you met my brother?”

“Perhaps it slipped my mind,” Shan said, in the way a man spoke when they had no fear of the consequences.

Alder started to respond, but Shan spoke over him.

“The mother is alive, though I can't say she is well. She has been returned to her human family where she belongs, given that she is, herself, a child of thirteen years.”

Hale felt a sinking feeling at Shan's words, but he refused to let himself be played. “Even if we were willing to believe that, it doesn't justify what you did to that pack.”

Oslo sneered at him, revealing a mouth of crooked teeth. “We don't care what you believe.”

Shan said, “By abducting the child, Yewen's pack was transgressing against the human town of Granite Falls. As it happens, my pack has an alliance with said town and were therefore obligated to intercede on their behalf. Yewen was given ample opportunity to return the child and give himself over in return for the safety of his pack. When he refused, I enacted justice.”

Hale had several questions for Shan, but not one of them was what Alder asked.

“You have an alliance with a human town? What sort of alliance? A Non-aggression Pact? Did they provide you with a mate?”

“Neither,” Shan said. “They provide us with resources and we make sure their farms and their children remain safe. We have similar deals with at least a dozen other towns along the reservation borders, which is why this matter slipped through the cracks.”

“Reservation borders?” Alder asked.

Shan made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “The Greater Appalachian Reservation. It's where our kind lives, as of January 24th, 2006. It took them a few centuries, but our land is now federally protected territory. Not that it means much. If they can give it to us, they can take it away just as easily.”

Hale didn't know the half of what this asshole was talking about and he didn't care either.

“Don't try to change the subject,” Hale said. “You had a problem with an alpha, so you massacred a pack and you call that justice?”

Shan glanced at him, brows rising as though he'd just remembered that Hale was there.

“Massacred?” Shan repeated. His tone turned patronizing. “Do you even know the meaning of that word? It means to kill unnecessarily and indiscriminately. I did not massacre that pack. I executed its alpha and every wolf that was complicit in his crime. Now, I presume your mate returned with you. Are you going to bring her, or will we stay here and argue semantics while a pup starves to death?”

Hale wanted to spit at him. “I don't see any pup with you, and you're out of your fucking mind if you think you're going anywhere near my mate.”

Alder said, “If you give me the pup, I will take it to my mate.”

Regardless of Alder's opinion of Shan, which Hale could tell was vastly more favorable than his own, Alder wasn't about to put Taylor in jeopardy.

Shan scoffed at them. “If I wanted to leave the pup in your care with no assurance that it was being provided for, I'd already be gone. Either bring your mate, or I will collect her myself.”

No wolf in his right mind would ever dare to make such an assertion. Had he actually tried to go to Taylor, Alder would be perfectly justified in killing him. Only, Alder couldn't kill him. Hale didn't think the both of them could kill him, even with Holly nipping at his heels and Fenix pecking at his eyes. But Alder didn't know this, and for once it was Hale who had to be the voice of reason.

As a growl rose in Alder's chest, Hale clamped a hand down on his brother's shoulder.

“Go and get Taylor. She can come in once this asshole shows us there's actually a pup here.”

A look passed between them, one they'd shared many times in the three decades that they'd been bound to one another.

Don't argue. Just trust me.

Alder didn't hesitate. As he left to get Taylor, Shan ordered Oslo to fetch “Kalla and West” who, presumably, were his other pack mates. Fenix went with him, while Holly remained at Hale's side, glowering at Shan.

“I don't care what you are,” Hale said. “I meant what I said. If you come near my mate, I'll kill you.”

Shan looked unimpressed. “Your loyalty to your mate is admirable, but don't be an idiot. Take your brother's advice and learn when to shut up. Silence is always stronger than an empty threat.”