"There is a pack border ahead, so I'm assuming it's the Greenvale Pack," Conrad said, sniffing the air.

"How do we approach a pack? I've never had to do this before," I admitted.

"The polite approach is to howl by the border and wait until a patrol arrives."

We kept going until Conrad stopped and raised his head as he gave a long, almost bored-sounding howl. A volley of howls rang back through the trees – patrols or other fighters heading our way. Vera put the basket down beside herself and I hopped out. I walked between her front legs and sat down as my ears perked up.

Conrad and several of the others shifted into their human form, presenting less of a threat to the pack while also allowing them to communicate.

We didn't have to wait long before several wolves appeared between the trees in front of us. I blinked and stared at them as small differences caught my eyes. Their fur was almost puffy, and they looked like they had just eaten a large meal.

It took me a few moments to remember that my previous pack members had looked like this. These were fit pack wolves, but I had gotten accustomed to my friends' sleek, lean appearance – both ferals and rogues lived a much more physically demanding life, and it showed.

Two of the approaching wolves shifted. One of them asked, "What is your business here?"

"We are wondering if this is the Greenvale pack," Conrad replied.

"It is." His reply was oddly short, although he might possibly be waiting for more reinforcements to get to this area in case we attacked.

"Do you know what happened to the Woodhurst pack? We went to visit them, but it looks like the packhouse burnt down."

"That's what happened."

"Do you know where the pack members went? I assume Mary and a few others came here."

With the name drop, the man paused, likely mindlinking several people, before finally replying, "They scattered. A few came here if they had relatives already in our pack."

Conrad hesitated, then sighed, bluntly saying, "I know the packhouse didn't just burn down. I also know that Julie wasn't killed by a hawk like that joke of a Beta claimed – that was a ruse so those three lawless rogues posing as traders could kidnap her. They also lit the fire and killed the Beta Merric before fatally wounding Alpha Sorrin."

The men and wolves facing us froze as shock, realization, and confusion danced across their expressions and minds.

"How do you know this?" the man demanded.

Conrad glanced back at me, and as we had discussed, I told them, "Because I'm Julie. Can you please let Mary and Mazie know I'm alive?" Considering my aura was keeping them a bit calmer, I was surprised they hadn't noticed it.

He stared at me for a long moment. "They want to know for sure that you are Julie and not just someone posing as her in some elaborate assassin scheme. This is their question: which wolf did you torment the most last time Mazie visited?"

"Really? An imposter? How many brown Comforters could possibly be running around in no man's land? Besides, that is a trick question. It's a toss-up between Mazie and Anabel, although if Mazie asked that question, then I clearly have not stuffed enough mice under her pillows. Did she ever find the bat I hid in her hair dryer before she left?"

A smile broke out on his face as he relaxed and grinned at us. "They say there is no doubt that you are Julie. They are extremely happy you're alive, and they are coming here as fast as they can run."

Vera sat down as we waited; she kept glancing at me since she knew I would be running forward to meet old friends and packmates when they arrived. People who were complete strangers to her.

"Did everyone else in the pack survive?" I asked in an attempt to distract myself from the wait. "Do you know where they went? How is the Luna doing?"

"Except for the Alpha and Beta, everyone got out. We took in fourteen here – it was all we had room for – and the others scattered among various packs. The Luna went south to her original pack – she is devastated. Thankfully, there is a Comforter in that pack to help her."

Finally, I had confirmation that they were alive and safe. Relief washed over me in such a strong wave that I almost wondered if a second Comforter was around. As we had guessed, the pack had split up as individuals and pairs went wherever they felt their ties were the strongest.

"Although," the man continued, "once the pack discovered that Sorrin had tried to hire shadow assassins and betrayed the pack, Alpha Nix's old Beta went feral."

"W-what happened to him?" I tentatively asked. There hadn't been any other gravestones in the cemetery...

He shrugged. "They say they don't know. His eyes went red, and he ran off howling. As far as we've heard, he hasn't turned up at any pack borders yet."

Silence fell when I didn't reply. I didn't even know the Beta's name, which struck me as odd. He had always just been 'the Beta'. The pain he had gone through, though, having lost his best friend, another close friend who had presumably been killed by a hawk, then both his friend's only child and the person who was supposed to take his place had been killed when they betrayed the pack he had served his entire life. No wonder he had gone feral.

Was the Beta still a feral, or had he recovered enough to live life as a rogue in no man's land? I had no idea, and this pack didn't know. It was a small miracle that the Luna hadn't gone down the same path.

Footsteps racing towards us distracted me from my gloomy thoughts. My range was short, but I could still detect familiar mindsparks appearing along the fringes.

"Mazie!" I cried out joyfully, scanning the trees eagerly – had I known which direction she was in, I would have already been running toward her.

A sharp bark sounded as she ran through the trees, slowing just enough to shift into her human form without tripping. "Julie! I'm so glad you're okay!"

Tears were already running down her cheeks in relief and joy as I ran forward to greet her. She slid onto her knees and picked me up, holding me against her chest. I strengthened the comforting part of my aura, even as I wriggled in her arms and licked her chin, almost as happy to see her as she was to see me.

More familiar and unfamiliar mindsparks appeared in my senses. A grey and black furred rocket streaked out of the trees and slid to a stop once she spotted me, then began prancing and bucking in some strange wolfish victory dance.

"Anabel, please tell me you didn't learn that dance from squirrels."

She barked out a laugh and trotted over, also shifting as she approached so she could talk. "No, but it's guaranteed to send squirrels into screaming fits." She smoothly kneeled down on the ground. "You have no idea how relieved I am to know you're still alive. I was halfway set to go turn every hawk I could find into archery fletching. There was something suspicious around the Beta's story of your death, but no one could find you, or any trace of your scent."

"The lawless rogues hid my scent when they kidnapped me. That's why no one could find me."

She pursed her lips. "Did you happen to hear their names? I know a rogue or two who owe me a favor..."

"They're already dead," Conrad said from where he still stood.

Anabel finally looked at my companions, then grew very still. My senses detected warning bells going off in her mind, although she didn't seem to understand why she was suddenly so uneasy. I suspected her rogue instincts were subconsciously picking up the small difference that I had earlier.

"Are you sure?" Mazie asked.

"Several in our group killed them."

Anabel nodded slowly, still staring at my friends as she tried to figure out how dangerous they were. I wriggled in Mazie's arms, and she put me down. I trotted the few steps to Anabel and put my front paws on her knees, finally making her look away from them.

She ran her hand along my back as she petted me. "How are you doing? Are you planning on joining this pack?"

"I'm better now that I know everyone survived, and I'm hoping to join if the Alpha will accept all of us."

The whirling emotions in her mind suddenly made me doubt the likelihood of that, especially following the other person's comment about running out of room. A pack's capacity wasn't just about having enough beds – it was also about ensuring the local wildlife wasn't overhunted, and that there was enough food and other supplies for an influx of people.

Even the pack's social structure played a major part in such considerations. This pack wasn't much bigger than mine had been, and having a large group come in could shake up the delicate balance of power, friendship, and cooperation. Having a 'their group' versus 'our group' scenario could easily split a pack apart and cause more damage than an outside attacker.

The Greenvale pack had just accepted fourteen new members, more than the pack would have likely otherwise accepted, and they were trying to fit in and figure out where their skills lay in this pack. Fifteen more wolves, even if one was a Comforter, would be too much for a small group like this.

Most of us looked up as a powerful aura approached. A middle-aged man walked out of the forest and evaluated the people in front of him, although his pack would have been relaying information to him the entire time.

The power currently radiating from him proclaimed him the Alpha, although it just reflected his status and presence at the moment. Nothing in his aura was issuing a warning or a threat. Much like my aura, anyone could feel it when he chose to amplify it like this.

His eyes settled on me. "Hello, Julie."

"Hello, Alpha Benner. Can I assume that you overheard our discussion?" When a large group of rogues appeared along a border, it wasn't unusual for patrols or guards to mindlink such discussions.

"Yes, I did. Unfortunately, our pack is currently at its limit. If it was just you and one or two others, we could probably make it work, but a group of fifteen isn't a possibility at the moment," he regretfully replied.

His mind was sincere; he did want to add a Comforter and what were likely some skilled fighters to his pack. Had he not just accepted over a dozen newcomers, he probably would have tried to fit us in – which wouldn't be a small feat since life as a rogue was quite different from life within a pack.

"However," he continued, "I can offer your group an evening meal and let them stay the night. There aren't enough rooms, but they are welcome to sleep in wolf form in the nearby forest or occupy the empty stalls or loft in the barn."

I quickly checked with my group since I had become the spokesperson. "What do you think?"

Josh tilted his head. "I wouldn't mind staying for a meal. Are you thinking of remaining? I'm sure Vera and Jenna would stay with you."

"We've come this far together," I said firmly, "and I'm not about to just leave you guys."

Conrad calmly said, "I don't see any harm in staying the night. Their library will probably have some maps I can copy so we aren't running around blindly in no man's land."

The others sent their agreement, although I was short one person.

"Michael?"

He took a deep breath as he sniffed the air deeply. "I want to go in. Unless I'm mistaken, I think my mate might be here."

Our group all turned our heads to look at him in surprise. Michael hadn't found any of his potential mates yet, and if she was here and accepted him, he would almost certainly be remaining. The Alpha raised an eyebrow as a silent question at how we had all looked at Michael.

Michael told him, "I think I can smell my mate from here. I'll admit that I've had a rough life and probably have a lot of learning to do. The Enforcer might have to thrash me a few times."

"Will an Enforcer be able to beat a former feral?" I quietly asked Conrad. Michael was lean muscle with a short temper.

"I don't know. It'll probably depend on what sets him off. If he thinks he is defending his mate, an Enforcer won't be able to stop him. Although, his mate will be able to calm him and help him settle down. A matebond is strong and defies logic."

Alpha Benner slowly nodded. "If your mate is here, then you are welcome to stay. Any trouble will be dealt with as we would with our current pack members."

"Then our group will gladly stay the night," Michael replied.

"And we thank you for your hospitality," I chimed in, allowing everyone gathered to hear me. Michael may have been a wicked fighter, but his social skills were sadly lacking.

Anabel held me in her arms as she stood up, watching as my friends closed the small distance between our two groups.

As we all began walking through the forest, I asked the Alpha, "Are there any good packs around that you think would be willing to accept a group of our size?"

Vera moved through the crowd to walk beside Anabel, much to the latter's discomfort, although she hid it as best she could.

The Alpha considered my question for a while. "If you weren't with them, I would say no pack would consider it. Especially with the shadow assassins possibly still around. But, since you and an Omega are part of the group, you stand a chance. It won't be any nearby, though."

I should have known he would have picked up Jenna's rank since she had been trying to use her Omega senses lately. It didn't escape my attention that Conrad was relieved the Alpha hadn't sensed his rank, then again, he hadn't tried to tap into his Enforcer abilities for that very reason.

"Any leads would be good, even if we have to travel for a few weeks," Amber murmured.

"I'll have my Beta draw up a map highlighting the few that might consider it."

"Thank you," she replied.

"You're welcome."