Considering my uncle's complete disinterest in taking a mate, the possibility suddenly didn't seem so impossible.
The thought nearly struck me dead where I stood.
My mind churned in chaos.
Was I supposed to simply watch as the territory that should have been mine passed into a stranger's hands?
Let my uncle's life's work be devoured by someone with no rightful claim?
I stood frozen for a long while before finally pulling out my communication stone to contact a rogue tracker I knew.
"I need you to investigate someone named Alaric Ravenhart. Go back three generations. From his birth to now—everyone he's met, every tribute he's received or given, every territory he's crossed through. Leave nothing out. The more detailed, the better. And make it fast."
After severing the connection, I sought lodging at a well-appointed traveler's den. When I tried to access my pack credit-marks, the keeper's face went cold.
"Your marks have been frozen, young wolf. I cannot honor them."
The words echoed through the empty hall like a death knell.