Chapter 46 Chapter Forty-Six
We rode until the morning sun crowned the sky, but you couldn't really tell with the heavy dark clouds that covered it. There was a deep rumble of thunder in the distance, and then a flash of lightning behind the thick veil that promised a storm, but nevertheless, we pushed on.
Further away from the center of my territory. Further from the estate's walls that had become more refuge than fortress in recent weeks. Closer toward the outskirts of Inglewood, where the forest grew wild and untamed, where the old maps stopped being reliable and the new ones hadn't been drawn.
And of course, closer to the domain of the supposed beast that had moved in uninvited.
However, we couldn't be certain because, so far, there were no signs that it had been there, until...
"Stop!"
Omira barked her order, her massive head lowering as she sniffed at a particular patch of disturbed earth ahead of us and I guided Sabel to a slow halt. Omira let out a low growl that rumbled in her chest, and I held up my hand, signaling the group to stop before dismounting Sabel. Aquila did the same.
The wind carried a scent I smelt before It was something foul yet so familiar it made my stomach lurch.
"Aquila?" I turned to him, but he was already crouching down low to inspect the patch of disturbed earth Omira had found and I did the same. My expression hardened beneath my mask as I studied the prints closely. An exact match to the ones I'd found weeks ago, but these ones?
Were there perhaps two and not one?
Impossible. If that were the case, then --
And an awful feeling of dread hit me as I looked at the five wolves who were ungurad now. Did I just lead them to their deaths??
"Asher? Asher?" Aquila called out and I looked down at him, Didid you hear what I said?"
"Hm?"
Had he been speaking?
"I said, it's hurt." He repeated his words again as he stood to his feet, dusting the dirt off his hands and knees. "It seems something else got to the creature before us." He explained.
"Which means the creature is most likely wounded," Omira said as she reverted to her human form. She was a tall woman, standing at nearly 5'9 dressed in faux rabbit fur. Her copper brown hair streaked with grey was braided to the side and her face was marred with fine lines that showed her years. Her thick brows were knitted closely together as she kicked a patch of leaves aside, clearly disappointed.
Elder Calhoun joined the three of us, he was already in his human formHehe might not have been as tall as Omira, but his presence would have been hard to ignore. He folded his arms over his chest, the muscles beneath his simple tunic still thick despite his years.
"Wounded doesn't mean less dangerous, Omira." He said with a grunt. ""The soil here looks torn up, meaning there was a fight. But what could be strong enough to attack a weretiger and injure it?"
It was a serious question. The kind of question that demanded an answer I didn't have.
"Another one, perhaps?" I voiced my thoughts. It wouldn't be far-fetched to think like that because the only other creature that could injure a beast as violent as that one would be another beast.
Or perhaps, a Dragon. But as far as I knew, I was the only black dragon in these territories, and I certainly hadn't attacked anything last night unless you counted my own body as an enemy.
"Another weretiger? I hope not, because I did not sign up for that." Aquila held up both his hands and took a step back from the scene.
"Does it matter if it's one or two?" Omira asked. "We're here to kill the beast before it kills one of ours. There's no time to waste."
"Omira." Elder Calhoun chided with a frown. "We must tackle this as delicately as possible-"
"Pah!" She scoffed with a wave of her hand.
"I'm going to have to side with Elder Calhoun on this matter." I finally spoke, glancing between the two of them.
Omira's head snapped toward me, her sharp hazel eyes, perpetually full of disappointment. "What? But didn't you say we have to kill this thing?"
"Yes." I held her gaze, unflinching behind the mask. "I'm aware of what I said. But we must also consider the unknown danger that might be lurking. We came prepared for one rogue weretiger. Not two. If there are any. And neither are we prepared for whatever injured them. Not—"
I stopped myself before I could voice the deeper fear: not whatever made them.
"Whatever the case, as much as I hate to admit it, I am not at my full strength."
"But—"
I held up my hand, palm out, the gesture absolute. "I understand you are eager, and I admire that. Your courage has never been in question, Omira. But I am still the Alpha, and I must consider everyone's safety before we proceed."
Silence. I knew she wanted to argue. But there was no arguing with logic.
Not only was there something strong enough to hurt the beast, but that paw print was also so invasive in a way that would terrify anyone who saw it before even coming face to face with the beast. It was easily twice the size of Omira's in her wolf form, and she was one of the largest wolves in the pack. Four distinct toe pads, each one leaving an impression deep enough to suggest the creature's weight was substantial. And the claw marks...
They extended a full hand's length beyond the toe pads, gouging the earth with enough force to leave furrows.
"This beast...it's not ordinary," I added. My tone server.
"But we can track it, right?" She asked. This time, Aquila was the one who answered.
"I don't think we're the ones tracking it anymore," he said, and his eyes—fully black now—fixed on something in the trees behind me.