Chapter 35
I stumbled through the thick woods, feeling my body hurt with each move. The things that happened in the temple kept coming back to me fighting with Ryder, the strange wolf helping me, and the terrible time when Ryder caught my rescuer. I felt bad and wanted to continue, even though I was exhausted.
Out of nowhere, I noticed a change in the atmosphere. The unseen wall that kept me away from my group was gone, and I was near our campsite. I felt happy, but also exhausted. My legs couldn’t hold me up anymore, and I fell down.
“Aurora!” Xander’s voice broke through my pain and tiredness. He was by my side in no time, holding me in his arms. His familiar smell like pine trees, dirt, and home made me cry.
“Call the healer!” Xander yelled, his voice shaking his chest. “Hurry!”
As gentle hands tended to my wounds, I recounted everything that had happened in the temple. Xander listened intently, his expression growing darker with each word.
“A mysterious wolf?” he asked, his brow furrowed. “And you say it felt… familiar somehow?”
I nodded weakly. “There was something about him, Xander. I can’t explain it, but I feel like I should know who it is.”
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Asher lingering nearby, listening intently. There was an odd intensity to his gaze that made me uneasy, but I was too drained to dwell on it.
“And these new powers,” Xander prompted. “Light and shadow?”
I stretched my fingers, feeling the two energies flowing within me. “It’s unlike anything I’ve felt before. But I can barely control it. If I had been stronger, maybe I could have…”
Xander silenced me with a gentle kiss. “You did everything you could, Aurora. We’ll figure this out together.”
As the healer finished patching me up, Xander called for a joint meeting of both packs. We soon found ourselves gathered around the bonfire, with faces we knew and some we didn’t, all lit up by the dancing flames.
I stood up, my legs a bit wobbly, and everyone looked at me as I told my story again. People gasped and whispered as I explained how a strange wolf helped me and then got caught.
“We have to save him,” I finished, my voice hoarse but determined. “Whoever he is, he risked everything to help me. We can’t abandon him to Ryder’s mercy.”
A heated debate erupted. Some argued it was too dangerous, that we’d already lost too many in the battle. Others supported the rescue mission, unwilling to leave anyone in Ryder’s clutches.
During the discussion, I had a strange feeling about Asher. He kept looking around anxiously, and it seemed like he was more focused on how others were reacting than on what was being said.
“I agree with Aurora,” Asher said suddenly, stopping everyone from talking. All eyes turned to him in surprise. “We can’t leave one of our own in enemy hands. It’s not our way.”
His support should have been reassuring, but instead, it only heightened my suspicions. Since when did Asher and I agree on anything?
Xander, ever the diplomat, raised his hands for silence. “We’ll send out scout teams first,” he decided. “We need to locate Ryder’s hideout before we can plan any rescue attempt.”
I stepped forward. “I want to be on one of those teams.”
Xander’s expression tightened with concern. “Aurora, you’re still recovering. It’s too dangerous.”
“I’m going,” I insisted, meeting his gaze steadily. “I need to do this, Xander.”
After a while, he nodded reluctantly. “Fine, but I’m going with you. And…” he looked at everyone, “Asher, you’re coming with us as well.”
Asher looked surprised, but he agreed with a nod.
When the meeting ended and everyone started getting ready for the exploration trips, I saw Asher quietly leave the main group. I was curious, so I kept a distance and followed him. He went behind a big tent, where a wolf I didn’t know was already there.
I tried hard to listen to their quiet talk, but I could only catch bits and pieces.
“… can’t keep this up much longer…” Asher was saying.
“… just a little more time…” the other wolf responded.
“… if they find out…”
Their voices dropped even lower, and I couldn’t catch the rest. Frustration and suspicion built within me. What was Asher hiding?
I confronted him as he emerged from behind the tent. “What are you up to, Asher?”
He seemed surprised, his eyes opening wide, but then he quickly tried to look innocent. “What do you mean, Aurora?”
“Stop pretending,” I said firmly. “You’ve been behaving oddly since I returned. And now secret meetings? What’s going on?”
Asher’s expression hardened. “I don’t owe you any explanations, Aurora. Focus on the mission ahead instead of throwing around baseless accusations.”
He brushed past me, leaving me seething and even more suspicious than before.
As the scout teams prepared to leave, I could feel the tension building between Asher, Xander, and myself. Xander kept giving me worried looks, while Asher consistently didn’t meet my eyes.
Right before we were set to leave, a disturbance at the edge of the campsite grabbed everyone’s focus. A wolf, with its fur tangled and stained with blood and dirt, hobbled into sight and then fell down.
Xander and I hurried over, assisting the hurt wolf to stand. As we held it up, I spotted something gripped between its teeth a piece of paper.
With shaking hands, I took the paper and opened it up. The message inside made my blood run cold:
“To the so-called Luna of the Blackstone Pack,
You have something I want, and I have something you want. A simple exchange you for the mysterious wolf who so foolishly tried to save you. You have 24 hours to decide. Come alone to the Howling Cliffs, or your new friend will suffer the consequences.
Ticktock, little moon child.
Ryder Storm.
I read the message out loud, my voice trembling. The camp became quiet as everyone understood what it meant.
Xander was the first to talk. “No way. We’re not giving you to that creature.”
But even as he said that, I could see he was unsure. We both knew the mysterious wolf’s life was at risk.
“We should think about this logically,” Asher said, sounding too calm. “Perhaps we can turn this situation to our benefit. Set a trap for Ryder.”
I whirled on him, anger flaring. “Use it to our advantage? We’re talking about someone’s life here, Asher! Someone who saved me!”
“I’m suggesting we might be able to resolve this fight completely,” Asher retorted. “Sometimes we have to make tough choices for the overall benefit.”
His statement reminded me of what Ryder had said earlier, which made me feel uneasy. Before I could say anything, Xander moved in front of us.
“That’s enough,” he stated firmly. “We’re not deciding anything at this moment. We need to gather our thoughts and figure out a strategy.”
As the campsite became chaotic with activity, I remained still, looking at the note in my hands. The decision felt overwhelming risk my safety or let the wolf that helped me face suffering or even death.
But beneath the fear and uncertainty, a spark of determination ignited within me. There had to be another way. I wouldn’t let Ryder win, wouldn’t let him tear apart everything and everyone I cared about.
I looked up, catching Asher’s eye across the camp. He held my gaze for a moment before quickly looking away, guilt flashing across his features. In that instant, I knew whatever Asher was hiding, it was big. And it was somehow connected to all of this.
As the pack leaders gathered to discuss our options, I made a silent vow. I would uncover Asher’s secret, save the mysterious wolf, and put an end to Ryder’s reign of terror. No matter the cost.