Chapter 29: Shadows in the Dark

By nightfall, the storm had broken up into a constant drizzle that misted the trees and filled the ground with the scent of wet pine.   As the Redwater pack began to wind down for the night, patrols positioned themselves around the perimeter and warriors retreated to their quarters.   Despite the damp chill in the air, there was a sense of tension in the camp; the attack on the borders had made the pack cautious, and some were starting to fall for Jared's falsehoods.  

Derek had been unusually quiet all day.   He hadn't turned me away, but he hadn't made the public acknowledgement he had once given me.   I couldn't tell if it was me or the growing threat of Midnight Moon, but he seemed to be carrying something.  

Whatever the case, I had other concerns.  

I was restless because I couldn't sense that something wasn't right.   Maybe it was the way Cassius had looked at me at the nightly patrol briefing, or the hushed chatter that stopped the moment I entered a room.   I could tell that there was still disagreement among the pack about whether or not to believe me.  

Needing some air, I slipped out of the main camp and headed for the old storage dens, which were on the more sedate edge of the area.   Some warriors still kept supplies in them, but more contemporary facilities had replaced them.   It was the perfect place to be alone.  

I thought so.  

As I drew nearer, I heard voices—strange, low, urgent voices.   My intuition took over, and I leaned against the outer wall of the largest storage den and listened.  

In a rough, whispered voice, "He doesn't suspect anything yet."   "However, the amount of time to wait is limited."  

A second voice responded, smoother and more measured.   "No, we won't.   Jared wants it done before the next full moon.   Despite their strength, Redwater's weakness is their reliance on their Alpha.   After Derek falls, everything else will crumble.  

My heart was pounding so hard that my ribs hurt.   A spy.   Maybe more than one.  

I cautiously moved, peering through a hole in the wood wall.   Though it was difficult to see the people inside in the moonlight, I could make out two men wearing dark clothes, their faces partially hidden by the shadows.   They were not Redwater warriors.   Their postures were too rigid, and they smelt strange.   Midnight moon.  

The first man, who was stocky and had a scar down his cheek, crossed his arms.   "What about the girl?"  

I gasped.  

The other man smiled.  His eyes sparkled like a predator's, and he was slender.   "Jared wants her to live."   Lila, however, wants her dead.   He chuckled grimly.   However, we'll let fate decide that.   Either way, she won't be here long.  

I clenched my fists against the urge to storm in.   If they discovered that I was unarmed and outnumbered, I wouldn't be able to make it back to Redwater alive.   I needed to see Derek immediately.  

I took a cautious step back.  My foot slammed into a loose stone as I turned to slip away, but the rain muffled my movements.  With a slight but distinct crunch, it moved under me.  

Quiet.  

Then—  

"What was that?"  

I didn't hold off on asking if they had noticed me.  I ran.  

The spies lunged from the den, their growls piercing the night, and I heard footsteps explode behind me.  My breath was burning in my throat as I ran towards the trees.  

"Grab her!" growled one of them.  

I dared not turn around.  My only hope was in the forest.  I might have a chance of returning to the main camp if I could lose them in the dense undergrowth.  Wolves trained for hunting and tracking, however, were catching up to me.  

A whistling sound pierced the atmosphere.  

I discovered what it was too late.  

Something slammed into my side, a net reinforced with silver threads and weighted.  I crashed to the ground, the metallic burn burning my arms where the netting touched, pain burning through my skin.  

The stocky spy smiled and loomed over me, his scar twisting.  "I got you."  

My limbs felt heavy as I thrashed, but the silver weakened me.  With so much silver against my skin, I was unable to shift, despite my wolf's protesting howl.  

With a hint of amusement in his eyes, the slender spy squatted next to me.  "Did you truly believe that you could run?"  

I made myself give him a glare.  "Derek will be aware of my absence."  

He laughed.  "Oh, that is what we're counting on."  

A blade, sharp enough to pierce skin but not deep enough to kill, pressed cold against my neck.  Not just yet.  

And then, far away—  

A howl.  

Low. Risky.  

Derek.  

The spies tensed up.  

I gambled.  

I kicked at the stocky spy's knee with what little strength I had left, twisting violently despite the pain.  He cursed as he staggered back.  I pounced, headbutting the slender one so forcefully that he lost his hold on the blade before he could even react.  

Adrenaline propelled me forward, but the silver continued to burn.  Ignoring the new blisters that were growing along my skin, I ripped at the netting.  

A black fur blur then smashed into the clearing.  

Derek.  

He had a wolf that was larger than either of the spies.  His jaws snapped around the slender spy's throat as he lunged at the closest enemy, his golden eyes blazing with rage.  Derek gave the man a sickening crunch as he jerked his head, cutting off his scream before he could even finish.  

The burly spy turned and fled.  He didn't get very far.  With his blade shining in the moonlight as he drove it deep into the man's back, Cassius came out of the trees.  

There was silence in the forest.  

As Derek transformed back into a human, I shook and gasped for air.  He had no shirt on, his hands were bloody, and his chest was heaving with effort.  

He fixed me with his gaze.  

"Claire."  

I wanted to say that I was all right.  That I had done it.  

However, my body lied to me.  Darkness began to creep at the edges of my vision as the toll of the silver became too great.  

The last thing I saw was Derek striding toward me, his expression unreadable.

Then everything darkened.