Chapter 187 187

Chapter 187 187
The cheerful atmosphere of the celebration disappeared completely.

Music had stopped.

The lanterns that once made the pack glow warmly now looked eerie beneath the tense silence spreading through the crowd. Warriors quickly escorted women and children away from the center while the older members of the pack whispered anxiously among themselves.

Alyna stood frozen for several moments with Leo in her arms.

Her heartbeat would not calm down.

Something inside her already knew this was not ordinary.

Asher, Xander, and the others had rushed toward the border without wasting another second. Even from a distance, Alyna could sense the sharp shift in the air.

Danger.

Real danger.

Leo, unaware of everything happening, rested sleepily against her shoulder after all the excitement from the party. His tiny hand held tightly onto her dress while she absentmindedly stroked his hair.

But her mind was elsewhere.

Her visions.

The darkness she saw.

The unknown enemy.

Everything suddenly felt closer than before.

Minutes passed painfully slowly.

No one resumed the celebration after that.

The fire pits still burned, food remained untouched on the tables, and the dancers quietly disappeared from the gathering area. The pack members waited nervously for news.

Alyna tried to remain calm for Leo’s sake, but Vivi had already become restless inside her.

Something terrible was approaching.

She could feel it.

After what felt like forever, movement finally appeared near the entrance of the pack.

Asher returned first.

Several warriors followed behind him, all carrying tense expressions.

The moment Alyna saw him unharmed, she released a breath she had not realized she was holding.

She immediately walked toward him.

“What happened?” she asked anxiously.

Asher looked exhausted already despite being gone only a short while.

“There was an attack.”

Alyna’s chest tightened.

“Who attacked?”

He shook his head slowly.

“We don’t know yet.”

His voice was colder now.

Controlled.

But she could see the concern hidden underneath.

Asher removed his gloves slowly while speaking.

“They placed explosives near Xander’s territory,” he explained. “Several houses were destroyed.”

Alyna stared at him in shock.

“Explosives?”

He nodded grimly.

“Some people are injured too.”

Her heart sank immediately.

She imagined the chaos there.

Families terrified in the middle of the night.

Children crying.

Homes destroyed within seconds.

Suddenly the war between Asher and Xander felt insignificant compared to whatever this was.

“Xander?” she asked quickly.

“He’s there helping his people.”

Asher paused briefly before continuing.

“I didn’t enter deep into his territory.”

Alyna frowned slightly.

“Why?”

Asher gave a faint humorless smile.

“Because even now, boundaries still matter.”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, he still respected the fragile line between their packs.

Alyna realized then that Asher had hesitated before crossing further.

And strangely, Xander had not expected him to come at all.

That alone said enough about how complicated their relationship remained.

Asher sat down heavily on one of the wooden benches nearby while running a hand through his hair.

“Before leaving, I only told him to be careful,” he admitted quietly.

“And?”

“He nodded and went back to help his people.”

Alyna remained silent.

For some reason, hearing that exchange unsettled her deeply.

Because both of them finally understood now.

The real enemy might not be each other anymore.

A cold breeze passed through the courtyard, making several lantern flames flicker.

Alyna looked toward the distant darkness beyond the pack walls.

“Do you know what this could be?” she asked carefully.

Asher’s expression hardened slightly.

“I have no idea.”

But somehow, she felt he already suspected the answer.

Sarmon.

Shadow Hunters.

The unknown force slowly creeping closer toward them.

Asher looked at her directly then.

“And I don’t want you getting involved in any of this.”

Alyna lowered her eyes slightly.

There it was again.

That protective instinct.

That desperate attempt to keep her away from danger.

But how could she stay away now?

Every vision.

Every warning.

Every sign had dragged her toward this moment.

Still, she did not argue.

She simply nodded quietly because she could already see how exhausted he was.

Around them, the pack members slowly began extinguishing the decorative lights prepared for the celebration.

Leo’s birthday had ended in fear.

And somehow, Alyna knew this was only the beginning.

The danger she had sensed for so long was no longer distant anymore.

It had finally arrived at their doorstep.