Chapter 91 *

Chapter 91 Chapter 91
Angelina’s POV
The last light faded from the sky. Someone pulled out flashlights. The temperature dropped even more.
"We should start a fire," Kai said. He was gathering sticks from the edge of the clearing.
Other guys joined in. Soon there was a pile of wood in the center of the campsite.
Kai pulled out a lighter and started the fire. It took a few tries, but eventually flames caught.
Everyone gathered around it. The warmth felt good.
I sat on a log near the fire but not too close. Mia sat next to me.
"This is actually kind of nice," she said. "Once you get past the whole freezing to death part."
Silas pulled out a bag of marshmallows. "Who wants s'mores?"
"You brought s'more supplies?" someone asked.
"Of course I did! What kind of camping trip doesn't have s'mores?"
He started handing out marshmallows and graham crackers. Someone else had chocolate bars.
People stuck marshmallows on sticks and held them over the fire.
"Mine's burning!"
"That's because you're holding it directly in the flames, idiot!"
"I like them burnt!"
The mood was relaxed now. People were laughing and joking again.
Tyler finished his s'more and looked around. "So. Anyone want to tell scary stories?"
"Oh god, please no," Mia said. "I'm already freaked out about the mountain lions."
"That's exactly why we should tell scary stories! Get it all out!"
"That's not how fear works!"
But Tyler was already starting. "Okay so there's this legend about Thunder Peak. They say that fifty years ago, a group of hikers came up here and never came back down."
"That's such a cliché start," someone said.
"Shut up, I'm telling a story! Anyway, they found the tents weeks later. But the hikers were gone. No bodies. No blood. Just empty sleeping bags."
"Okay that's actually creepy," a girl said.
"And people say that on cold nights like this, you can hear screaming from the woods. The spirits of those hikers, still lost up here."
Silence.
Then Silas threw a marshmallow at him. "That's bullshit and you know it!"
Everyone laughed.
But I noticed people moving a little closer to the fire.
The stories continued for another twenty minutes. Each one trying to be scarier than the last. Most of them were obviously fake.
"And then the hiker looked down and saw his own footprints... walking AWAY from the cabin!" Tyler finished dramatically.
A few people clapped halfheartedly.
"That doesn't even make sense," someone said.
"It's a GHOST story! It doesn't have to make sense!"
My phone buzzed in my pocket.
I pulled it out and looked at the screen.
Incoming call: Kingfisher.
I stood up from the log. "I need to take this call. I'll be right back."
Mia looked up at me. "Where are you going?"
"Just over there." I pointed toward the edge of the clearing. "I'll stay close."
"Be careful, okay?"
"I will."
I walked away from the fire toward a small cluster of trees at the edge of the campsite. Far enough that the others wouldn't hear my conversation, but close enough that I could still see the fire.
I answered the call. "What is it?"
"Welcome back, Alpha." Kingfisher's voice came through clear. "How was Wyoming?"
"Fine. Why are you calling?"
"Just got back from vacation. Wanted to check in before my next assignment."
I leaned against a tree. "Where are you going?"
"Russia. Moscow specifically. The Elder Council needs someone eliminated. High-profile target. Lots of security."
"Timeline?"
"Two weeks. Maybe three if it gets complicated."
"Keep me updated. Don't take unnecessary risks."
"Never do, Alpha." I could hear the smile in her voice. "How's the camping trip?"
"It's camping."
"That bad, huh?"
"It's fine. Just cold."
"You sound thrilling as always."
"Was there anything else?"
"Nope. Just checking in. I'll send you updates from Moscow."
"Good. Be careful."
"Always am. Talk soon."
She hung up.
I put my phone back in my pocket and turned to head back to the campfire.
Then I heard voices.
Not from the campsite. From deeper in the woods.
I stopped walking and listened.
"Babe, no one's gonna see us." That was Kai's voice. Coming from somewhere in the trees to my left.
"Are you sure? This is so risky." Zoey's voice. Breathy. Excited.
I could hear rustling. Movement.
Then a soft moan.
I stood there for a second, processing what I was hearing.
They were hooking up. In the woods. During a camping trip where we'd been warned about mountain lions.
These people were idiots.
A cold smile crossed my face. The original Aria had actually liked this guy. Had written him love letters. Had followed him around like a puppy.
What terrible taste she'd had.
Kai was exactly the type of person I despised. A hypocrite who pretended to care about honor and responsibility while doing whatever he wanted behind closed doors.
I turned and walked in the opposite direction, back toward the campfire.
No point interrupting them. Not my problem.
When I got back to the fire, Mia looked up. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah. Fine."
I sat back down on the log. The warmth from the fire felt good against the cold night air.
Tyler was still trying to tell scary stories. "Okay okay, I got one more. So there was this couple who went camping and they decided to—"
"Let me stop you right there," one of the girls interrupted. "If this is another couple getting murdered story, I'm done."
"It's not! Well, not exactly. Just listen—"
"I'm hungry," Silas announced loudly, cutting Tyler off. "Who wants to cook some real food?"
"Real food?" Mia asked.
Silas grinned and walked over to his backpack. He started pulling things out. Pre-marinated chicken wings in a ziplock bag. Hot dogs. Buns. Condiments.
"Dude, you brought a whole cookout?" Tyler laughed.
"Of course I did! What's camping without grilled meat?"
Another guy pulled out a small portable grill from his bag. "I got the grill."
"Perfect!" Silas started setting everything up near the fire.
Within minutes, they had the grill going. The smell of cooking meat filled the air.
My stomach rumbled slightly. I hadn't eaten much during the hike.
Mia nudged me. "Want some?"
"Sure."
Silas put the chicken wings on the grill. They started sizzling immediately. The smell got stronger.
"This is what I'm talking about!" Silas said. "Camping isn't camping without a campfire cookout!"
People started gathering closer, drawn by the food.
Tyler put hot dogs on the grill next to the wings. "How long do we cook these?"
"Until they're done, genius."
"That's not helpful."
"Five minutes. Maybe ten. Just watch them."
The mood around the fire got more relaxed. People were laughing again. The fear from earlier had faded.
Someone noticed Kai and Zoey were still missing.
"Hey, where did Kai and Zoey go?" a girl asked.
Tyler grinned. "They're probably hooking up in the woods."
Several guys started laughing and making comments.
"Dude, that's wild. Literally in the wild!"
"Man's got priorities!"
"In this cold? That's dedication!"
The girls rolled their eyes but some of them were smiling too.
"That's so gross," one girl said. "There are bugs out there."
"And mountain lions," someone else added, then laughed nervously.
I stared at the fire, listening to their conversation.
I wanted to say something. The smell of the cooking meat would carry through the forest. Mountain lions had an incredible sense of smell. They could detect food from miles away.
Grilling meat in an area where predators had recently attacked people was stupid.
But I looked at Mia's excited face. She was watching Silas flip the chicken wings, looking happy.
I looked at the others. They were all relaxed now. Having fun.
If I said something, I'd ruin the mood. Make everyone paranoid again.
I didn't say anything. Just kept my hand close to the hidden knife at my waist.
My eyes scanned the dark tree line around us. Looking for movement. For eyes reflecting the firelight.
Nothing yet.
"Master, you want the first wing?" Silas held out a perfectly grilled chicken wing toward me.
"I'll wait."
"Come on, you hiked the fastest. You deserve first dibs."
"Give it to Mia."
Mia's face lit up. "Really?"
"Yeah."
Silas handed her the wing. She bit into it and her eyes went wide. "Oh my god, this is so good!"
"Right?" Silas grinned proudly. "I marinated them overnight. Special recipe."
More wings came off the grill. Hot dogs too. People started eating.
The conversation got louder. More animated.
I took a chicken wing when Silas offered it to me again. It was good. Well-seasoned. Perfectly cooked.
I ate it slowly, still watching the trees.
The fire crackled. Someone threw more wood on it. Sparks flew up into the dark sky.
"This is actually pretty great," Mia said next to me. "I'm glad we —"
A scream. High-pitched. Terrified.
"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!"