Chapter 117: unknown Stranger

Chapter 117: unknown Stranger


Cara’s POV

The forest loomed around me, its towering trees stretching toward the sky like skeletal fingers. Their thick canopies blocked out the light, casting everything in an eerie dark gloom. Each step I took was cautious, careful, yet my mind was anything but steady.

Debby’s final words echoed in my thoughts, she had used her last strength to whisper a plea in my ears. “The Cupbearers, go to the mountains and they will locate you”

I had promised her that I would go. More like I had no choice than to agree to her request, to find the secret pack hidden deep in the mountains. They were my only hope now. She believed they could help me unlock the power that had betrayed me, the same power that refused to heed my call when I needed it most. My wolf altogether with my abilities looked like they were Inna consensus to ditch me. She had been silent throughout the war. But I could feel her gloominess. I could tell she misses her mate.

I tightened the cloak around my shoulders, the chill of the forest biting at my skin. My boots crunched against the fallen leaves, each sound echoing in the otherwise oppressive silence. Reminding me that I was in an abandoned and deserted forest. The famous great woods of Ellorin. But despite the stillness, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched.

It wasn’t me being paranoid. It was something… familiar. It is a feeling I have felt numerous times now. It was like a shadow at the edge of my awareness, just beyond my senses. My skin prickled with unease, but no matter how hard I tried to pinpoint the source, I came up empty. My senses were spread but without my abilities that had gone into hibernation, I was as useless as a stupid Omega I was.

This had happened before, the bitter memory of the last three to four days crept into my mind. during the war. Ryder had eluded my senses and the sense of Emily in the safe house. He had slipped past my instincts as if I was blind to him, only for him to take me unawares.

I couldn’t help asking if it was happening again?

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to focus. Whatever or whoever it was, I couldn’t afford to be reckless. Not now.

Hours passed, the forest growing darker as the sun dipped below the horizon. I reached a small clearing and paused, my nose sharpened, as I inhaled deeply, savoring the fresh and calming scent of fresh water. my gaze fell on a serene pond nestled between the trees. The water shimmered faintly, reflecting the faint moonlight that peeked through the gaps in the canopy. For a brief moment, the sight calmed me. And I prepared to rush to my, saving savior.

Then I heard voices.

“Did you see her?” one of them snarled, low and guttural.

“She was heading this way,” another replied, its tone sharp and eager. “The scent is still fresh.”

I froze, my heart hammering in my chest. Slowly, I crouched behind a thicket, peering through the leaves. A group of feral rogues stood near the edge of the pond, their forms hunched and ragged. Their clothes were torn, their eyes wild and glowing with a dangerous light.

“She’s not one of the Council’s,” a third rogue muttered, sniffing the air. “Her scent is… different.”

“Doesn’t matter,” the first one growled. “She’s alone, isn’t she? Easy prey.”

They chuckled darkly, their laughter sending a chill down my spine. I bit my lip, holding my breath as I tried to quiet the pounding of my heart. I realised without being told that the ‘she’ couldn't be a coincidence. ‘They were talking about me!.’

These people were dangerous. I could tell from their malicious intent, and the foreign crest that was embedded in their cloaks. They looked like rogues but from their discussion, I could tell that they were nothing like rogues. Their leader had this calculative expression, spotting an evil grin. They were planning or even plotting. something ferals don't do.

“Keep your eyes open,” the second rogue said. “We’ll flush her out soon enough. She won’t get far.”

Panic surged through me. They were looking for me. Somehow, they’d caught my trail, and now I was their target.

I tried to back away, moving as silently as I could, but the forest floor betrayed me. A twig snapped beneath my boot. Causing me to cringe.

Their laughter stopped.

“What was that?” one of them hissed, their heads snapping in my direction.

I didn’t wait for them to investigate. I bolted, the underbrush tearing at my clothes as I ran.

“She’s here!” one of them shouted, and the sound of pursuit filled the air.

Branches whipped against my face, the sharp sting barely registering through the adrenaline coursing through me. My lungs burned as I pushed myself to go faster, but they were closing in, their snarls and growls growing louder.

“Run all you want, little girl!” one of them was taunted. “You can’t escape us!”

Frustration and fear warred within me. My abilities. my traitorous abilities remained dormant, refusing to respond no matter how desperately I called out to them.

“Please,” I whispered, tears stinging my eyes. “Please, I need you!”

But there was no answer.

In my desperation, I didn’t see the trap until it was too late. My foot caught on a hidden wire, and I was yanked off the ground, suspended upside down by a crude snare. The blood rushed to my head as I dangled helplessly, the rogues’ laughter ringing out as they surrounded me.

“Well, well,” one of them sneered, baring his yellowed teeth. “What do we have here?”

I struggled against the rope, but it only tightened around my ankle. But as they came closer, I confirmed my suspicion, they were nothing like ferals. My best guess was they are a group of wandering psychopaths.

“Looks like the little mouse got caught,” another rogue said, his voice dripping with mockery. “You gave us a good chase, girl. But it ends here.”

They closed in, their claws gleaming in the dim light. I braced myself, my heart pounding as I realized there was no escape.

Then, out of nowhere, a shadow moved.

It was fast, so fast I barely saw it. One moment the rogues were sneering at me, and the next, they were flying backward, their bodies hitting the ground with bone-crunching force.

A figure stepped into the clearing, cloaked in darkness. The air around them crackled with power, a low hum that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. To my dismay, my abilities responded, almost in sync to the vibration coming out of the figure.

“What the hell was that”.

The rogues snarled, recovering quickly. “Who the hell are you?” one of them spat, lunging toward the figure.

But the figure didn’t answer. Instead, they moved with a fluid grace that was almost inhuman, sidestepping the attack and delivering a blow that sent the rogue sprawling.

The others hesitated, clearly unnerved, but their hesitation was just for a moment. They attacked in unison, their claws slashing through the air.

The figure met them head-on, its movements precise and calculated. Every strike was efficient, every dodge effortless. It wasn’t just skill, it was superiority. This person was leagues above the psychopaths wolves, and they knew it.

As I watched, a strange sense of familiarity washed over me. There was something about the way they moved, the way their presence commanded the space around them, that tugged at the edges of my memory.

“Who…” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “Who are you?”

The battle was over before I could blink. The rogues lay dead. their forms crumpled on the ground. Never to get up again. The figure had shown no mercy.

It turned toward me, My breath caught in my throat.  

“You…” The word slipped from my lips before I could stop it.

Their eyes met mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw something, recognition?.

“Stay quiet,” a female voice low and commanding said. “You’re not safe yet.”

With a swift motion, she cut me down from the trap, catching me before I hit the ground. Their touch was firm but not unkind, and the strange familiarity only deepened.

“Who are you?” I asked again, my voice trembling.

They didn’t answer. Instead, brought out a vial from her bag. Stretching it towards me.

“for your abilities,”