Chapter 196 196

Chapter 196 196
The forest was unnaturally silent as Asher moved through the shadows.
Behind him, a few of his trusted warriors followed cautiously, careful not to make unnecessary noise. The deeper they went into the western woods, the stronger the unfamiliar scent became.
Blood, Smoke, Rogues.
Kael remained alert inside him, every instinct warning him that danger surrounded them from all directions.
Asher raised his hand slightly, signaling the others to stop.
Ahead of them, beyond the thick trees, faint lights flickered in the darkness.
He slowly stepped forward and parted the branches carefully.
What he saw made his expression harden immediately.
An army. Not dozens. Not hundreds. Thousands.
The entire valley below had transformed into a massive war camp. Fires burned endlessly beneath the dark sky while armed rogues patrolled every direction. Large black tents covered the grounds, and wolves in monstrous forms moved around like creatures born purely for violence.
Weapons were being forged even at this hour.
Explosives. Iron traps. Silver chains.
Asher’s eyes darkened at the sight.
This was no ordinary invasion.
Sarmon had come fully prepared to conquer.
And somewhere among those tents, Alyna was trapped.
His jaw tightened unconsciously at the thought.
Kael growled violently inside him, wanting to charge directly into the camp and tear everything apart. But Asher forced himself to remain calm.
This was exactly what Sarmon wanted.
A reckless attack.
A foolish rescue attempt.
Asher carefully observed the terrain instead. Guards were stationed everywhere. Hidden archers surrounded the outer edges, while wolves patrolled in groups. Even from a distance, he could tell these rogues were disciplined fighters.
Sarmon was not some mad beast attacking blindly.
He was strategic.
Dangerously strategic.
Asher’s gaze shifted toward the largest tent at the center of the camp.
A strange feeling settled heavily inside him.
Alyna was there. He could feel it.
For one reckless second, he almost moved forward.
But reason stopped him.
If he acted now, he would lose everything.
Not only Alyna. His pack. His son.
Everyone.
Slowly, Asher stepped back into the shadows again.
“We’re leaving,” he ordered quietly.
One of his warriors looked shocked.
“Alpha… shouldn’t we attack before they move?”
Asher immediately shook his head.
“That’s exactly what they want.”
He looked back toward the massive camp one last time.
“We need a proper plan.”
The journey back felt heavier than before.
Asher remained silent almost the entire way, lost in thought. He kept replaying the sight of that enormous army inside his mind.
Something about Sarmon disturbed him deeply.
Not just his strength.
His patience.
He had hidden himself for years and suddenly appeared now, fully prepared.
As if he had been planning this long before any of them realized it.
And Alyna…
Why Alyna specifically?
That question refused to leave Asher’s mind.
By the time he reached Xander’s territory, dawn had already begun to break across the horizon.
Xander was waiting outside with his warriors.
The moment he saw Asher’s face, he understood the situation was worse than expected.
“What did you see?” Xander asked immediately.
Asher looked directly at him.
“A nightmare.”
Xander’s expression darkened.
Asher explained everything—the size of the army, the weapons, the guards, the organization behind the camp.
The more he spoke, the more silence spread among the warriors.
Even Xander looked disturbed now.
“That many?” one of Xander’s betas muttered in disbelief.
Asher nodded.
“We cannot defeat them recklessly,” he said firmly. “If we attack without preparation, we’ll lose thousands.”
Xander clenched his fists tightly.
“But Alyna is there.”
“I know.”
Asher’s voice remained calm, but the pain beneath it was impossible to hide.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Asher continued,
“We need to understand what Sarmon is planning first. He didn’t come here just for land.”
Xander looked at him carefully.
“You think it’s about Alyna?”
Asher’s eyes darkened slightly.
“Yes.”
The thought unsettled both of them.
Because Alyna’s powers were unpredictable even to themselves.
Someone like Sarmon could easily become obsessed with them.
Xander ran a frustrated hand through his hair.
“So what do we do now?”
Asher remained silent briefly before answering.
“We prepare properly.”
Even though he hated waiting, he knew rushing into battle would only kill Alyna faster.
Asher returned to his pack near evening.
The moment he entered the house, he heard Leo crying loudly.
One of the older women immediately approached him with visible relief.
“Alpha… he refuses to eat.”
Asher frowned instantly.
Leo stretched his tiny arms toward him the moment he saw him.
“Mama…” he cried weakly.
The sound shattered something inside Asher.
He immediately took his son into his arms.
Leo clung tightly to his neck as if afraid he would disappear too.
Asher gently stroked his hair while trying to calm him.
“It’s alright,” he murmured quietly. “I’m here.”
But Leo continued looking around for Alyna.
That innocent confusion in his son’s eyes hurt more than anything.
Asher sat down slowly and fed him himself despite his own exhaustion. Leo finally calmed a little after staying close to his father.
Asher watched his son carefully.
Leo had Alyna’s eyes.
The same eyes that carried visions.
The same eyes Sarmon seemed obsessed with.
A dangerous fear settled inside him then.
If Sarmon learned about Leo too—
Asher immediately pushed the thought away.
He would never allow that.
After feeding him, Asher carried Leo to bed personally. The little boy had already fallen asleep against his chest from exhaustion.
Asher placed him carefully on the bed and covered him gently.
For several moments, he simply stood there watching his son sleep peacefully.
Then his expression slowly hardened again.
Because somewhere far away—
Alyna was alone among monsters.
And no matter what it took, he was bringing her back.