Seraphina’s POV
The convoy moved through the winding mountain roads like a funeral procession, each mile bringing us closer to the unknown horror that might be waiting for us. I sat in the passenger seat of the lead vehicle, my hands clenched so tightly in my lap that my knuckles had gone white.
"Sera," ca Riley’s voice. "You should try to eat sothing. It’s been hours since breakfast."
I glanced at the protein bar she’d placed on the dashboard earlier, my stomach imdiately rebelling at the thought. "I can’t. Not until I know he’s okay."
"The baby needs—"
"Sorry. I just... I can’t think about anything else right now."
Through the rearview mirror, I could see the other two vehicles following behind us, filled with so of the best warriors our pack had to offer.
*Damien?* I tried the mindlink again, sending the thought out with all the desperate hope I could muster. *Please, if you can hear this, just give sothing. Anything.*
The response was the sa endless void it had been for days, but I refused to let that discourage . Distance. Mountains. Sothing was blocking our connection, but it was still there. Faint, fragile, but unbroken.
It had to be unbroken.
"There," Riley said suddenly, her voice tight with concern. "Up ahead. Do you see that?"
I followed her gaze to a spot about fifty yards ahead where sothing tallic glinted in the afternoon sunlight. As we drew closer, my heart began to pound with recognition and dread.
It was a piece of military gear. A tactical vest, torn and bloody, discarded beside the road like trash.
"Stop the car," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Riley pulled over, and I was out of the vehicle before it had co to a complete stop. The other cars pulled up behind us, and I could hear car doors slamming as the rest of our team erged to see what had caught our attention.
I knelt beside the vest, my hands trembling as I reached out to touch the dark stains that covered the reinforced fabric.
"There was a fight here," I said, rising to my feet with my jaw set in determination. "But look at the blood pattern. This looks like... like soone was wounded but kept moving."
"All right, everyone," I called out, raising my voice to address the entire rescue team. "We’re going on foot from here. The terrain ahead is too rough for vehicles, and we need to be able to move quietly."
There was a murmur of acknowledgnt from the assembled warriors as they began checking their gear and weapons.
"Luna," ca a voice from behind . I turned to see Jas, one of the younger warriors, approaching with his pack slung over his shoulder. "Are you sure about this? I an, no disrespect, but you’re... well, you’re pregnant. Maybe you should coordinate from back here while we—"
"No." The word ca out with enough alpha dominance to make him take an involuntary step backward. "I appreciate your concern, Jas, but I’m not staying behind."
The forest was ancient and vast, with towering pine trees that blocked out most of the afternoon sunlight and created a cathedral-like atmosphere that would have been beautiful under different circumstances. Now, it felt oppressive and threatening, full of shadows that could hide any number of dangers.
We’d been hiking for nearly two hours, following the intermittent blood trail and broken branches that marked the passage of whoever had been here before us. The silence was absolute except for our own careful footsteps and the occasional bird call from sowhere high above.
*Stay calm,* I told myself as we pushed deeper into the wilderness. *You’re an alpha now. You can handle this. You’ve got the best warriors in the pack with you, and you’ve got abilities that can help if soone gets hurt.*
But with each step, the knot of fear in my stomach grew tighter. The blood trail was getting fresher, which ant we were gaining on whoever had left it. That should have been encouraging, but instead it filled with dread.
"Luna," Riley whispered, appearing at my elbow with her weapon drawn. "We’re getting close to sothing. I can sll smoke up ahead."
I nodded, my own enhanced senses picking up the acrid scent of a recent fire. But underneath that, there was sothing else—the unmistakable musk of rogue wolves, thick and cloying in the still air.
"Signal the others," I whispered back. "We approach with extre caution."
As we crept through the underbrush, the sll of smoke grew stronger, mixed with other scents that made my stomach turn—blood, sweat, and the particular stench that ca from bodies that had been left too long without proper care.
The trees began to thin ahead of us, revealing what looked like a clearing bathed in the golden light of late afternoon. But as we drew closer, I could see that what I’d taken for natural sunlight was actually the flickering glow of flas.
"Moon goddess," soone whispered behind , and I felt my heart sink as I got my first clear view of what lay ahead.
The camp—or what was left of it—spread out before us like a scene from a nightmare. Tents had been shredded and scattered, equipnt lay broken and abandoned, and the remains of several fires still smoldered throughout the area. The ground was dark with stains that I didn’t want to identify too closely.
But what terrified most was the complete absence of any human presence. No guards, no prisoners, no bodies. Nothing but devastation and the lingering sll of violence.
"Where is everyone?" I whispered, my voice cracking with fear.
I moved forward on shaking legs, stepping carefully around the debris that littered the camp. Every shadow could hide a body, every overturned piece of equipnt could conceal evidence of Damien’s fate.
*Damien,* I called through the mindlink, putting every ounce of desperate love I possessed into the connection. *Damien, if you can hear , please respond. I’m here. I’ve co to find you.*
A new voice cut through the afternoon air—a howl that echoed through the trees like a warning siren. It was answered imdiately by another, then another, until the forest rang with the sound of approaching wolves.
"Rogues," Marcus growled, appearing beside us with his weapon ready. "They know we’re here."
"We need to move!" Riley shouted over the chaos. "This position is too exposed!"
I looked around frantically, trying to spot the best route for retreat, when I saw it—a narrow ga trail that led away from the camp and deeper into the forest. It was barely visible between the trees, but it seed to head in the sa direction the prisoner trail had gone.
"This way!" I called out, pointing toward the trail. "Follow !"
What happened next was like sothing out of a nightmare. One mont I was following the narrow trail with Riley close behind , and the next I was alone in a part of the forest I didn’t recognize, with no sign of my companions anywhere.
"Riley?" I called out softly, not wanting to attract unwanted attention but desperate to reestablish contact with my team. "Marcus? Anyone?"
Silence answered , broken only by the distant sound of wind through the pine branches and my own rapid breathing.
Reviews
All reviews (0)