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turning to see who wanted to talk to him. Most everyone had been avoiding him like the plague considering his mood lately. “Come,” he called angrily.
    Keith and Ranaild stepped into the room. They walked over to chairs in front of Cullen’s desk and sat down without being asked. There were very few lycans who didn’t care about Cullen’s mood. Keith and Ranaild had been friends with the man too long to fear the mighty General Cullen Arnauk. “I’ve got word,” Keith said, as he propped his feet up on Cullen’s desk.
    In an odd way Keith’s disrespect and nonchalance made Cullen feel better. Ranaild just sat quietly. That’s all he ever did, until he started drinking. “So?”
    Liam and Serra just got back from their little espionage mission. “From what they heard the raids are originating from a group that has pretty strong affiliation with the Circle.” Cullen was speechless. Keith smiled. He knew that would come as a shock. “I knew you’d like that,” he chuckled. “When was the last time the druids came out of hiding?”
    “I don’t even remember. The real druids disappeared after Rome. Caoch,” he swore under his breath. “I can only assume you mean the real druids and the real Circle.”
    Keith nodded. “Yup, the real Circle. So the real question is what do they want?”
    Cullen’s gaze drifted off into space as he considered the improbability of the situation. “Whatever they’re after must be pretty significant for them to come out of hiding after all these centuries. Hell, even if they want something, raiding isn’t the way they used to deal with things. Live and let live and all. The Circle my father talked about allowed themselves to be killed off and assimilated because they believed that was the way of things.”
    “Yeah, well look at it this way,” Keith said, “if all the druids believed that was the way of things then there wouldn’t be any left. Whoever is calling themselves the Circle at this point survived somehow and chances are that means that some of them didn’t necessarily believe in that way of things.”
    Cullen agreed with is friend. “Okay so the Circle is behind the raids. But who or what is doing the raiding?”
    “That we haven’t found out yet. No one has really seen anything other than the aftermath and ‘animal-like’ shadows. From the sounds of it and from some research that Granad did we think it might be big cats of some kind. The Circle originally made lycans as guardians. If they’re looking for something they’re probably using hunters who are less likely to care about rules or trade loyalty for each other over loyalty for their creators the way we did. The raiders have been strong, have claws like you wouldn’t believe, are quick, quiet, and managing to blend in and disappear. I’m guessing panthers, leopards, tigers, lions or some such. Hell maybe a combo. That would eliminate the possibility of a unified pride. You know how much katta hate interbreeding. Wouldn’t want to chance a mutt.”
    “Sounds like you’ve thought this out pretty thoroughly,” Cullen said, feeling like he hadn’t contributed at all. “I had been considering katta, but it wasn’t much of a guess at the time.”
    “Well, Serra, Granad, Liam and the rest of us have noticed you’re distracted and we kinda get it. We’re doing our best to get this monkey taken care of so that maybe the mating business won’t be so overwhelming.” Keith shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. “Actually we’ve been talking about that too.” Keith looked to Ranaild for support, but he just sat further down in his chair and swallowed hard.
    “What,” Cullen asked, his eyes narrowing dangerously on his friends.
    “The mating. We just wanted you to know that the pack at large, at least those of us high enough in rank to have a countable opinion,” Keith looked at Cullen sympathetically, “don’t think it’s necessary.”
    “You don’t.” Cullen leaned back in his