The moment the golden-eyed man stepped out of the shadows, the entire clearing changed.
The warriors of Silver Ridge immediately tensed.
Every instinct in their bodies screamed the same warning.
Danger.
Even Damon's aura shifted.
His sharp gray eyes narrowed as he studied the stranger walking slowly toward us.
The man moved with effortless confidence, as if he didn't see twenty warriors surrounding the clearing.
Or maybe…
He simply didn't care.
The wind lifted his dark hair slightly as he stepped into the moonlight.
His golden eyes glowed faintly.
Not the soft glow of an ordinary wolf.
But something older.
Stronger.
My wolf stirred inside me.
Him.
A strange warmth spread through my chest.
"You know him?" I whispered inside my mind.
Not personally.
Her voice was calm.
But he is powerful.
Very powerful.
That much was obvious.
Captain Rowan immediately stepped forward, placing himself between the stranger and Damon.
"Identify yourself," Rowan demanded.
The man's lips curved slightly.
"How rude."
His voice was deep and smooth.
"Is that how Silver Ridge welcomes guests now?"
Rowan's eyes darkened.
"You're trespassing on pack territory."
The man tilted his head.
"Am I?"
His golden gaze moved briefly across the warriors.
None of them met his eyes.
Then his attention returned to Damon.
"So," he said casually.
"You must be the Alpha."
Damon didn't answer immediately.
His aura pressed outward, heavy with dominance.
"I am Alpha Damon of Silver Ridge."
The ground seemed to tremble slightly as his power spread across the clearing.
Ordinary wolves would have lowered their heads instantly.
But the stranger didn't react.
Not even a little.
Instead, his smile grew faintly amused.
"Damon," he repeated.
"Good."
Rowan growled.
"You still haven't told us who you are."
The man glanced at him.
And for the first time, the air turned cold.
"Did I give you permission to interrupt?"
Rowan froze.
The words weren't loud.
But the pressure behind them was overwhelming.
Even I felt it.
My wolf growled softly.
Alpha pressure.
But different.
Stronger.
Damon stepped forward.
"That's enough."
Rowan immediately stepped back, lowering his head slightly.
Damon's eyes locked onto the stranger again.
"You came into my territory," Damon said slowly.
"You approach my warriors."
His voice hardened.
"And now you stand beside my former mate."
The clearing fell silent.
The word echoed in my ears.
Former mate.
The stranger's golden eyes flicked toward me briefly.
Something unreadable passed through his expression.
Then he looked back at Damon.
"Former?"
His eyebrow lifted slightly.
"How interesting."
My chest tightened.
Damon's jaw clenched.
"She was rejected."
The stranger hummed softly.
"Ah."
His gaze slowly moved over me again.
From my silver hair…
To the faint glow still lingering in my eyes.
Then he chuckled quietly.
"Your loss."
A ripple of whispers spread through the warriors.
Damon's aura darkened immediately.
"What did you say?"
The stranger shrugged.
"Just stating a fact."
Damon's eyes flashed with anger.
"You seem very confident for someone standing in another Alpha's territory."
The man finally straightened completely.
His full height became obvious now.
He was taller than Damon.
And somehow…
Even more dangerous.
His golden eyes glinted under the moonlight.
"Territory," he repeated softly.
Then he took one slow step forward.
And suddenly—
The air exploded with power.
Several warriors staggered backward instantly.
Rowan dropped to one knee.
Even Damon's expression changed.
Because the pressure filling the clearing now…
Was not the power of an ordinary Alpha.
My wolf whispered quietly.
Ancient.
The stranger's voice echoed calmly through the silence.