“Patterns are easy to see when you want them,” one of the men mutters.
I glance at him briefly. “This one is measurable.”
I trace the arc with my finger.
“The attacks form a corridor that hugs the Blackmoore boundary,” I say. “Close enough to town to guarantee discovery, but never deep enough to be dismissed as accidental encroachment.”
The air shifts.
“They are staging,” I add.
Alden moves before I can elaborate.
His hand closes around my elbow and steers me firmly toward the interior hallway. The shift is quick and controlled, more redirect than drag.
“Office,” he says over his shoulder. “Now.”
“You could try asking,” I say, though I keep pace.
He releases me once we are inside a large office lined with shelves and rolled maps. The door shuts with quiet finality, and another man steps in behind us before it closes.
“This is Ciaran,” Alden says, moving around the desk. “Continue.”
Ciaran leans back against the wall, arms folded loosely, gaze sharp and assessing.
I spread the maps across Alden’s desk and reposition the tablet so both men can see the screen.
“I was explaining the corridor,” I say. “The wolves are not moving randomly. Each kill occurs within a visible zone near town infrastructure.”
Ciaran studies the map. “You are mapping attack sites against our boundary.”
“I am mapping them against terrain funnels and human access points,” I reply. “Your boundary aligns because it is part of the geography.”
Ciaran steps closer, examining the coordinates. “You assume coordinated intent.”
“I assume repetition equals intent,” I say. “Predators do not repeatedly abandon kills in high-visibility areas without a reason.”
He glances up. “And the reason is?”
“Escalation,” I answer. “The bodies are left where they will be found quickly. Livestock is slaughtered but not consumed. A hiker is left near a marked trailhead. These are not hidden kills.”
Ciaran shifts his weight slightly. “You are suggesting provocation.”
“I am suggesting bait,” I say. “If the town believes a rogue predator is active, they organize hunts. If they organize hunts, they push deeper into the forest.”
Neither man interrupts.
“That pressure increases near your property,” I finish.
Ciaran studies the screen again. “This assumes more intelligence than wolves typically exhibit.”
“I have footage of coordinated action,” I say, tapping the tablet. “Two wolves destroyed my cameras in sequence.”
Alden’s gaze sharpens slightly.
“They approached separate mounts from different directions,” I continue. “Neither hesitated. Both disabled the equipment in one movement.”
Ciaran leans closer to the screen. “Two wolves.”