My legs felt like lead as I followed Osckar's path towards the pair of wolves we did not recognise. At least, their scents did not carry the distinctive underlying smell like any of the packs we knew in this area. They were trespassing. Whose land did they pass through without so much of a second thought? Or did they get permission? Were they nomadic or exiles? Travelling through the country looking for a place to settle or where they are part of a large pack? Two scouts could cause an all-out pack war. It took all of my father's adult life for treaties between the neighbouring packs to be civil, lines had been drawn and boundaries were set. If they were coming to settle, this would be the biggest disruption yet. There were just too many unanswered questions and the right thing to do as a leader was to get answers.

I pulled my shoulder inward, closing in on myself to make myself look small and weak. I needed to have every bit of an advantage I could get if a fight broke out. I'd let Osckar take the lead, let him present himself as the only alpha here, they'd be expecting that.

We're an arm's length away and I'm certain they know we're here now, the slight tensing of their shoulders and hair-raising was a giveaway.

"You must be new around here." Osckar's voice was low and inquisitive, but there was also an underlying threat that tangled its way through.

The two males turned around, their game is forgotten. The taller one had dark short curled hair and caramel skin. His nose was soft in contrast to his sharp gaze and black-lined eyelashes. He was well built, a potential rival to Osckar should a fight break out. The other male, had blonde hair spiked at the top as if he'd walked straight out of a 2002 magazine. His face was still boyish, but I had a feeling he was in his early twenties.

"Do we stand out that much?" The taller man asked casually, his shoulders relaxing as his gaze flickered between the two of us. Dismissing me almost immediately.

Osckar shrugged, "We don't get many new people around here, so unfortunately for you, you stand out like a sore thumb."

The tall man smiled. "I suspected that would be the case if there were anyone like us around here."

Osckar didn't smile back. "I'm sure you already suspected there'd be people like us here. You'd either be anosmic or an utter fool. Somehow, I doubt you are the former."

The dark tall male chuckled, "I guess we didn't slip through your ranks." He took a deep breath, no doubt taking in our scents and tucking away that piece of information.

"No,"

"What brings you to town?" I asked cutting right to it.

The taller man reluctantly looked at me, his eyes flashing with an obvious distaste for being questioned by a girl, "We've been tracking an enemy for a while. A lead has brought us here and we're not inclined to leave without," he paused as if looking for the right word, "Exterminating them from existence."

Oscar's jaw tightened, and I mulled over his choice of words.  There were multiple people they were after and they slipped through pack territory. This would be a big problem. It was likely they'd only arrived today. We hadn't heard from any of the other alpha's about unfamiliar wolves roaming around. If that was so, it was only a matter of time before the pack whose land they travelled through found their way here. I wanted to groan; I didn't want to face any of the other alphas soon. I hadn't seen them since my trial, and I was glad of it. Years could go by and it still would be too soon.

"We're well connected in this town," Osckar went on, "Perhaps we can help you find the wolf you're looking for. As you can probably guess, we don't appreciate strangers waltzing in uninvited."

The tall male smiled cynically at us as if he'd been expecting such a reply.

"I doubt small-town wolves would fathom the magnitude of our enemy that waltzed into your territory." he took a step forward, he was close enough that his nose was almost pressed against Osckar's. "And because I'm such a nice guy, I'll give you a little heads up. Our enemy isn't a wolf, no that would be too mundane."

I tensed, and sure enough, Osckar released a low growl from his chest. It rumbled to the core of my being. Once I might have been inclined to shrink back and submit, but not today, or ever again. The two strangers in front of us did just that though, their heads inclined and they simultaneously took an involuntary step back.

The pissing contest was done. He was no match for Osckar and he knew it. Not unless he felt like losing his life in the next breath.

"I think I can comprehend the threat you seek." He said lowly, "In fact, I think you might face an even bigger one right now."

Not a wolf, those words echoed in my head. Did Osckar know what these two were chasing? We needed to know, if another pack was willing to bulldoze their way into pack territory and face a war, their enemy could be greater. Worth the risk of losing a few members.

The two men didn't raise their gaze from the ground.

"What pack are you from?" the question came off more as a demand.

"We're the Dreadclaws." the smaller male practically squeaked out.

Osckar's top lip lifted in a snarl. "You have no business here until your alpha requests permission to enter. Enemy or not."

I couldn't agree more, just months ago I'd trespassed into pack territory and found myself in jail. These guys had been lucky so far not to be caught, regardless of whom they'd chased here.

"I think you'll find," the taller man paused, and with a huge dose of audacity, he tapped Osckar's shoulder with his index finger. A threatening growl slipped through Osckar's teeth grabbing the attention of humans nearby. "Yourself regretting this little threat of yours."

"I think not." Osckar's chest expanded as took in a deep breath, "You have five minutes to get out of my sight and twenty to get out of town. If you're spotted in the territory you won't live to see another day."

The taller man didn't back down like anyone who'd had their instincts wired right. He clearly wasn't an alpha or him and Osckar would've already begun fighting for dominance. He was close though. Maybe a beta? I couldn't work it out. Even beta's succumbed to submission when given a command by alpha, whether it was your pack leader or not.

The tall man smirked as if he'd won. I turned to watch them go, their gait turned predatory when they scented Osckar's siblings. Thankfully, Roman stepped in front of Bay and Jamie, ever the older brother. His gaze was unyielding as the two men passed, their eyes eating up the scene before them.

The moment they left the arcade and out of earshot, I sagged in relief.

"We should get home," I said, walking to Roman.

"I think a few calls need to be made first," Osckar said as he unlocked his phone. A second later it was at his ear, "William, we've got ourselves a situation."

I tuned out the voice on the other end getting back home was the priority. We'd be safer there with others around us. Who knows how many Dreadclaw's had made it here?

I chewed the side of my cheek, lost in thought as my body went through the motions. I'd barely settled down from our last incident and now another had found its way right to our doorstep. Was it just a coincidence?

It couldn't be. Nothing seemed to be just by chance anymore. There was probably someone behind this with an ulterior motive. I just had to figure out who before things got out of hand.