The Lost Pack (Paige) novel Chapter 127

** Ryder’s POV **

The forest is quiet tonight. Too quiet.

It’s the kind of quiet that makes every instinct in me hum with warning.

Before we set out on our first patrol together, I’d gathered the new enforcers in the clearing outside the cabins. They stood in a semicircle, Midnight wolves, strong and disciplined, waiting as I extended the pack link.

It’s a strange feeling, letting outsiders in, even temporarily. The pack link feels different when it touches foreign wolves. It’s cooler somehow, but necessary. Their Alpha had agreed without hesitation, understanding the risk of patrolling together without being able to communicate in their wolf forms.

“For the duration of your stay, you’re under my command,” I told them, my voice carrying through the night air with the authority only an alpha has.

Sometimes I still can’t quite believe I’m an Alpha. The title is my birthright, but it still feels strange after growing up with humans, and not knowing what I was. I’ve seen Alphas like Josh, blunt, traditional, carved from old pack law and instinct, and I wonder if I’d have turned out like that if I’d grown up under my father’s rule instead of among humans. Some still think it makes me weaker, that empathy softens a leader. Maybe they’re right. But in a world that’s always changing, I think it gives me an edge the old bloodlines lack. I know one thing for certain: if I’d lived that life, I never would’ve met Paige, and never would’ve had Jaxon, who is the most amazing kid with a heart of gold. I’ll be damned if I raise my son to be ruthless for the sake of pride. I want him to grow up kind and strong. The kind of Alpha this world actually needs.

“You’ll have access to the pack link for safety and coordination.” I continue. “There could be a major threat at any given moment. We work in groups of three or four at all times. No one wanders off alone, no one crosses the border without a direct order. Clear?”

A chorus of “Yes, Alpha,” rings out, firm and respectful.

Now, as we run through the forest, I can feel their presence threaded into the pack’s mental hum, steady heartbeats, shared focus, the rhythm of many wolves moving as one. It’s efficient and safer, but there’s a nervous undercurrent. A reminder that trust is something you build, not assume, and this is only the start of building that trust.

The moon hangs low and full tonight, cutting through the trees in pale beams of light as Parker and I lead the first patrol with the Midnight enforcers. We move fast, the air cold in our lungs, paws hitting the ground in rhythm. The new wolves keep pace well; they’re disciplined, silent, and smart enough not to crowd us.

I can’t help the flicker of pride that hits me as I run. I used to see patrol as nothing more than a job that had to be done, but now it has so much more purpose. It’s not just a duty now; it’s an honour, and I know a lot of the pack feel the same way. Whether or not the pack approves of Paige, they can’t deny the shift she has brought with her.

There’s a steadiness in them lately, a quiet confidence I haven’t felt since I arrived. Wolves who used to keep their heads down when I passed now meet my eyes with respect instead of doubt. Having a Luna, a real one, and an Alpha heir… it’s changed everything. Jaxon’s laughter echoes through this place; he’s like sunlight breaking through the darkest clouds. He’s hope, he’s proof that our pack has a future worth fighting for.

Even those who were slow to accept Paige have softened towards her, whether they admit it or not. She’s earned it in the way she listens, in the way she sees them. She talks to everyone who will listen, especially the enforcers, and she remembers their names. No Alpha command could’ve achieved what she has with a smile and genuine kindness. It’s not dominance that unites this pack anymore. It’s belonging.

She’s changed everything, and damn, if that doesn’t make me proud.

I can still see her earlier, standing in front of those enforcers like she was born for it, calm voice, steady eyes, making them feel welcome while commanding respect without even trying. My wolf had been in awe at the sight of it. She doesn’t even realise how much power she has.

I’d thought bringing a human into this life would make her fragile, but she’s anything but. She’s a fierce fire wrapped in soft skin with a heart that somehow manages to hold all of us without breaking.

I shift my weight, slowing my pace as the faint scent of wolfsbane cuts through the night. Sharp, metallic and wrong.

“Wolfsbane,” Parker’s voice flickers through the link, as he comes up beside me. He’s caught it too.

We break formation, moving ahead while Rowan instructs the others to spread out and hold position. I lower my head, drawing in another breath, and the scent burns in my nose. It’s faint, but recent, maybe a few hours old at most.

Hunters have been here.

My wolf growls low in my chest. The bastards are getting bolder.

We push through the underbrush, stopping at the edge of the treeline just beyond the trail cameras. That’s when I see it, a shallow pit of blackened earth, the remains of a small campfire hidden behind a fallen log. There’s a bullet and a small brown vial in the ash, and a strip of dark fabric caught on the bark nearby.

Parker sniffs the air. “There’s blood. It’s human.”

I crouch low, shifting back into human form long enough to inspect it closer. The ground’s scuffed, boot prints, at least three sets, maybe four. They’ve been watching.

“They were close,” I say quietly, my voice still rough from the shift. “How did the patrol not notice them?”

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