Chapter 43: The Odd Howl

Ivy’s POV

The soft, distant howl broke through the night again, this time sharper and more insistent. It lingered in the still air, wrapping itself around me like icy tendrils. My breath caught, and a shiver ran down my spine despite the lingering warmth from the shower.  

I turned off the water abruptly, my heartbeat quickening. Wrapping myself in a bathrobe, I tried to push away the unease clawing at the edges of my mind. But that sound—wild, raw, filled with anger and something primal—refused to be silenced. It wasn’t an ordinary wolf’s call.  

Something was wrong.  

I dressed quickly, my movements hurried and jerky as I tried to focus. My senses felt sharper, as though my body was reacting to something before my mind could process it. The howl replayed in my memory, over and over, each note stirring a deeper sense of dread.  

When I stepped out of the bathroom, the room was empty. Leo was gone, the door leading to the hallway slightly ajar. Faint voices floated in, one of them sharp and commanding.  

Leo.  

My stomach twisted as I inched closer to the door, my bare feet silent against the hardwood floor.  

“Double the patrols,” Leo’s voice rang out, low and authoritative. “I want the entire perimeter secured. No one gets in or out without my clearance. Do you understand?”  

“Yes, Alpha,” came the reply, firm and laced with urgency.  

The word “Alpha” sent a jolt through me. Leo rarely used his title around me, but now, hearing it delivered with such weight, I felt its full gravity.  

I pushed the door open slightly, enough to see Leo standing tall, his shoulders tense. His presence dominated the narrow hallway, his tone carrying the unmistakable air of authority.  

“What’s happening?” I asked, stepping out into the hallway. My voice cut through the quiet, and both men turned to me.  

Leo’s eyes softened briefly when they met mine, but the tension in his posture didn’t ease. He crossed the space between us in two long strides, his hand brushing against my arm in a fleeting, protective gesture.  

“You should be in our room,” he said firmly. “It’s not safe.”  

“Not safe?” I repeated, my brows furrowing. “Leo, what’s going on?”  

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he wouldn’t answer. Finally, he sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. “There’s been a disturbance. We don’t know the full extent yet, but it’s nothing for you to worry about.”  

Before I could press further, the same haunting howl pierced the night, closer this time. It was sharper, more guttural, and it clawed at something deep inside me. My instincts screamed danger.  

“What was that?” I whispered, gripping his arm.  

Leo’s expression darkened, his eyes narrowing. “We think it’s a rogue,” he said slowly, the words deliberate. “But it doesn’t make sense.”  

“Then let me help,” I said, surprising even myself with the determination in my voice.  

His gaze snapped to mine, his brow furrowing. “Help?” he repeated, his voice tinged with disbelief. “Ivy, this isn’t your fight.”  

“I’m not helpless, Leo,” I said firmly. “If something’s happening, I have a right to know. I’m not going to sit in a corner and wait while you deal with everything.”  

His eyes flickered with a mix of frustration and pride. “This isn’t about you being capable,” he said finally, his voice softening. “It’s about risk. And I can’t risk losing you.”  

Before I could argue further, another figure appeared at the end of the hallway—a warrior, his face pale and drawn.  

“Alpha,” he said, bowing his head. “We’ve found something at the border. You need to see it.”  

Leo’s expression hardened instantly. He nodded, then turned to me, his hand brushing against my cheek in a fleeting touch. “Stay here,” he said, his voice firm but gentle.  

“Leo—”  

“Please,” he said, his eyes locking with mine. “I’ll handle it.”  

And then he was gone, striding down the hallway with the warrior close behind.  

I stood there for a moment, torn between obedience and the gnawing need to know what was happening. The air felt heavy, charged with an unspoken tension that seemed to seep into my bones. Another howl broke through the night, distant but filled with an anger that made my skin crawl.  

I moved to the window, drawn by a mix of curiosity and dread. The moon hung low in the sky, casting a pale glow over the forest. Shadows danced between the trees, their shapes shifting and twisting in the faint light.  

The unease in my chest grew. Something was out there. Watching. Waiting.  

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Leo’s POV

The wind bit at my skin as I approached the border, the air thick with the scent of pine and damp earth. My warriors flanked me, their postures tense as their eyes scanned the dark forest beyond the boundary.  

“What have you found?” I asked, my voice cutting through the silence.  

One of the warriors stepped forward, his expression uneasy. “Tracks, Alpha. Large ones. Bigger than anything we’ve seen before.”  

I followed his gaze to the ground, my stomach tightening at the sight. The prints were deep, clawed, and erratic, as though whatever made them wasn’t entirely… natural.  

“This isn’t a rogue,” I said, my voice low and dangerous.  

“No, Alpha,” the warrior agreed, his voice trembling slightly. “It’s something else.”  

A low growl rumbled in my chest. “Spread out,” I ordered. “Find it, but don’t engage until I give the signal.”  

The warriors nodded and shifted into their wolf forms, their sleek bodies disappearing into the shadows. I stood at the edge of the treeline, my senses heightened as I scanned the darkness.  

The howl came again, closer this time, and every instinct in me bristled. It wasn’t just a call—it was a challenge.  

I shifted into my wolf form, the transformation sharp and familiar. My claws dug into the earth as I sniffed the air, trying to catch a scent. There was something faint, acrid and wrong, but it vanished as quickly as it came.  

The forest was eerily silent. No birds, no rustling leaves—just an oppressive, unnatural stillness.  

And then I saw it.  

Movement, quick and fleeting, just beyond the edge of my vision. My wolf growled, the sound low and guttural, but when I turned toward the source, it was gone.  

“Alpha,” one of the warriors’ voices rang through the forest. “We’re not alone.”  

My fur bristled. “Hold your position,” I commanded.  

The wind shifted, carrying with it a faint, chilling scent that made my wolf snarl. There is something really wrong. What if she’s behind it?

The shadows seemed to close in around us, and for the first time in a long while, I felt the cold grip of uncertainty. Whatever was out here wasn’t just testing us.  

It was hunting.