Chapter 71: Everyone ready

“Everyone ready?” Damien asked quietly as they stood at the edge of the forest.

No one answered right away. The night air was cold, and the trees around them were thick and dark. A narrow path led deeper into the woods, toward where the two alphas had said they would meet.

Lyra adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder. “As ready as we can be.”

Jack took a deep breath. “I still can’t believe everything that happened tonight.”

Maya looked at him. “You better start believing it. Things are only getting worse.”

They started walking. The forest was silent except for the soft sound of their footsteps. Damien walked at the front, his mind busy.

Every part of his body still felt tense from the fight at the lab. He could still hear the screams, see the smoke, smell the burning air.

Cole broke the silence. “So, these alphas… what do they want from us?”

Maya answered, “They said they have information about Dr. Vale and the hybrids. Something big.”

Neo frowned. “Bigger than what we already saw?”

Maya didn’t reply. That alone made everyone uneasy.

After a few minutes, they reached a clearing. Two figures stood near the center, waiting. One was tall with broad shoulders and dark hair. The other had pale blond hair and calm blue eyes. Both had a strong presence that made the air feel heavy.

“Those must be them,” Jack whispered.

Maya nodded and stepped forward. “Alpha Rowan. Alpha Silas.”

The taller man inclined his head. “Maya. You came.”

Damien stepped beside her. “You said you had something important to tell us.”

Silas studied Damien closely. “You’re the one. The human who used to be a wolf.”

Damien stiffened. “Yes.”

Silas nodded. “Your story has spread faster than you think.”

Rowan crossed his arms. “Dr. Vale is not working alone. He never was.”

Lyra’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

“There is a group,” Rowan said. “They call themselves the Architects. They believe the supernatural world is broken and needs to be rebuilt. Vale is just one of their tools.”

Jack swallowed. “So there are more like him?”

“Worse,” Silas said. “There are leaders. People with power, money, and ancient magic. They fund the experiments and protect the labs.”

A heavy silence followed his words.

Maya spoke carefully. “How many?”

“More than we can count,” Rowan replied. “And they are getting bolder.”

Damien clenched his fists. “Then why come to us?”

Silas met his eyes. “Because you stopped Vale. Even if it was just one lab, it sent a message. They are afraid of you.”

Lyra let out a short laugh. “That’s hard to believe.”

“They should be,” Rowan said. “You fight without fear, and you protect each other. That makes you dangerous.”

Jack shifted his weight. “So what do you need?”

Rowan took a step forward. “We need your help to find the next lab. One of our scouts disappeared two days ago. His last signal came from the old railway tunnels.”

Neo frowned. “Those tunnels have been closed for years.”

“Exactly,” Silas said. “Which makes them the perfect hiding place.”

Maya turned to Damien. “If the Architects are involved, this is bigger than any of us.”

Damien looked at his friends. He saw fear in their faces, but also determination. “We’ve come this far. We can’t stop now.”

Lyra nodded. “We’re in.”

Jack hesitated, then nodded too. “Yeah. We can’t just walk away.”

Cole exhaled slowly. “Guess we’re doing this.”

Rowan looked relieved. “Good. Because time is running out.”

Silas handed Maya a small device. “This tracks supernatural energy. It should help locate hidden labs.”

Maya studied it. “This will help.”

Rowan turned to Damien. “There’s something else you should know.”

Damien’s stomach tightened. “What?”

“The Architects are interested in you,” Rowan said. “Your blood. Your history. The way you survived losing your wolf.”

Lyra stepped closer to Damien. “They’re not touching him.”

Rowan gave a faint smile. “They will try.”

Damien took a slow breath. “Let them.”

The group stayed quiet for a moment. The forest seemed to hold its breath with them.

Silas finally spoke. “You should rest. We move at dawn.”

They said their goodbyes and turned back toward the path. The walk back was quieter than before. Each of them was lost in their own thoughts.

When they reached Maya’s house, the sky was already starting to lighten. Everyone looked tired.

“Get some sleep,” Maya said. “We’ll need it.”

Damien nodded. “I’ll take first watch.”

Lyra touched his arm. “You don’t have to do everything alone.”

He gave her a small smile. “I know.”

The others went inside, leaving Damien on the porch. He leaned against the railing, staring out into the trees. His chest felt tight.

He thought about everything that had happened. Becoming a wolf. Losing it. Fighting monsters. Almost dying more times than he could count.

Sometimes he wondered what his life would have been like if none of this had happened. If he had stayed normal.

A soft sound behind him made him turn.

Lyra stood there, wrapped in a blanket. “You’re not sleeping, are you?”

“Not yet,” he said.

She joined him, resting her elbows on the railing. “You’re scared.”

He hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah.”

“Me too,” she admitted. “But I’d rather be scared with you than safe without you.”

He looked at her, surprised.

She shrugged. “It’s true.”

They stood in silence, watching the sky grow brighter.

After a while, Lyra said, “No matter what happens, we stick together.”

Damien nodded. “Always.”

Inside the house, something beeped softly. Maya hurried into the living room and looked at the tracking device Silas had given her. The screen glowed red.

Her heart skipped. “That was fast.”

She ran outside. “Damien. Lyra.”

They turned.

“The tracker just activated,” Maya said. “There’s a strong signal.”

Jack appeared behind her, half awake. “Already?”

Maya nodded. “Yes. And it’s close.”

“How close?” Damien asked.

She swallowed. “Less than five miles from here.”

A heavy silence fell.

Cole rubbed his face. “So… another lab?”

“Or something worse,” Maya said.

Damien straightened. “Then we move now.”

Lyra met his eyes. “Together.”

They all nodded.

None of them noticed the shadow watching from the trees.

None of them heard the soft whisper carried by the wind.

“They’re walking into my trap.”