[Kai's POV]
A wave of relief, warm and heavy, washed over me as Shin's fight ended with his characteristic, unnerving calm. My men had subdued the other strays without serious injury, their breathing just starting to slow. But the feeling was as fragile as a spiderweb. The sharp snap of a twig, too light and deliberate for a werewolf's heavy footfall, made my ears twitch forward. I flared my nostrils, filtering out the familiar scents of pine, damp earth, strays, and my own pack.
Humans.
Five figures emerged from the deep shadows of the tree line. Their movements were a blur of unnatural speed, and the dull glint of metal badges on their chests sent a jolt of ice water through my veins. Werewolf hunters.
"Everyone, on—" I barked, the warning torn from my throat, but it was cut short as the hunters scattered with a practiced, lethal precision that spoke of a well-rehearsed ambush.
