Chapter 61

Chapter 61
Chapter 61

Confusion washes over me. "What do you mean? Is she here?" I ask, though I already know the answer before the words are even out.
Lyra is on edge; every muscle in her body is taut as she stands frozen. Drake stands beside her in the same stance. I scan the surroundings as best I can, even though I know it likely won't make much difference. Lyra sees more than I do.
"I don't see her," I whisper to Dex. I have to laugh at myself, as if whispering matters when we have a mind link; I could scream, and no one but Dex would hear me.
"No, but she was here. We’re certain; her scent is still fresh." If he heard me laugh, he doesn't let on.
Instinctively, I take a deep breath, but I can't make sense of the mix of scents wafting toward me. Damp moss, pine, a few rabbits not far off, and, I think, a faint trace of a fox that has long since fled. I sniff again, determined to pick up her scent and contribute to whatever it is we’re about to do.
And then... There it is. A familiar floral scent.
The scent is so familiar, how could I not have recognized it immediately? It isn't strong enough to mean she’s close by, but it is strong enough to suggest she was here not long ago.
"How long ago do you think it was?" I ask Lyra and Dex. "Not long," Dex replies, as Drake lowers his nose to the ground and starts walking. Lyra doesn't move just yet.
"Do we follow?" I ask her, not entirely sure if this is a good idea.
"Yes, we're following." And before I can object, she’s already walking, nose at the ground.

Unlike the relaxed and playful sprint from earlier, every step is now deliberate. Their noses are close to the ground as they slowly pick their way through fallen leaves and broken branches. Each paw is carefully placed to avoid making a sound. The forest seems changed. Or rather, my perception of the forest has changed. It seems darker, quieter. I am aware of every little sound and where it is coming from, branches moving in the wind, a rodent darting away somewhere to our right.  We follow her scent in silence.

"How do you know we're heading the right way?" I ask eventually. Lucy's scent doesn't seem to be getting any stronger. "You don't notice it, but her scent is stronger at the spots where her paws touched the ground." I let that sink in.
It makes sense for her to travel in her wolf form; it would be much faster. But why here? The question runs through my mind as Drake and Lyra follow the trail. I’m snapped out of my thoughts when Lyra and Drake come to an abrupt halt.
"What is it?" I ask Dex in surprise; I don't smell anything else. Lucy's scent is still the one that stands out above all else. Drake moves his head, sniffing the air.
"There was someone else here," Dex says. My stomach tightens. "Someone from the pack?" I ask, hoping that isn't the case.
"No," Lyra answers. "But the scent is familiar. It's just too faint to really recognize." Lyra sniffs again. Then I understand what she means; it’s as if the scent is being masked by Lucy's. But how?
"Do you recognize it?" I ask Dex, against my better judgment. "No, it looks like it’s been mixed with something." Drake and Lyra move on.

The trail leads us deeper and deeper into the forest. Further and further away from the waterfall.
The comforting sense of the pack connection is fading. I try to ignore it, attributing it to the fact that we might run into Lucy at any moment, until the absence of that connection becomes impossible to ignore. "Lyra..." Something doesn't feel right. "We're leaving the territory," she says; judging by her tone, she’s uneasy too.
I look around. For some reason, the trees look different, the earth feels different beneath Lyra's paws, and even the air smells different.
"Dex!" I call out.
No answer. A wave of panic washes over me. Is the mind link not working anymore? What if something happens? We wouldn't have any way to warn the others.
"Breathe," Lyra says sternly. "There's nothing wrong with the mind link. They're just focused," she assures me.
"Dex?!" I call out again, not entirely convinced by her words. "Yes?" I breathe a sigh of relief when I hear his voice. Thank God.
"Told you." She says while rolling her eyes at me.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? Leaving the territory?"
Lyra hesitates, but Drake keeps walking, following Lucy's trail.
"We'll lose the trail if we stop now," he replies firmly. "But Lucy..." I counter; something doesn't sit right with me. "Lucy has a head start." His face and voice are calm, yet I can sense his determination. No, something else. Desperation.
"If Lucy is crossing these woods of her own accord," he continues, "she's heading somewhere, and we need to know where."

"Or... she's leading us somewhere."
Silence...
"You think it's a trap," he says eventually. Although it wasn't a question, I answer, "I don't know." I wish I sounded more convincing. "It's just..." I have to search for the right words. "It feels wrong here; the forest here feels wrong." I don't know how else to explain the feeling. Lyra hums in agreement. In my mind, I lean against her, glad I'm not the only one.
Finally, Drake stops, as if they’ve only just realized something might be wrong, or rather, admitted that it’s strange. Even though we’re still in wolf form, a shiver runs down my spine. It’s the silence; it’s too quiet.
No rustling leaves, no animals scurrying away; even the wind seems to have died down.
The only thing I hear is the slow breathing of the wolves.
"We should go back," I say. Lyra is already poised to turn back, but Drake doesn't budge.
"We can't."
"Dex..." I try.
"What if Alex isn't the only member of your family she's working with? This might be our only chance."
My heart skips a beat. The idea of ​​Alex being here alone is terrible enough, but if there are more of them... that’s a nightmare. Dex must sense my horror. "I’ve suspected it for a while, but I didn't want to worry you, in case I was wrong."
Lyra slowly takes a step closer to Drake. "Lucy knows there are few packs that will stand by her. Chances are high she’s persuaded Alex to round up more people." His voice sounds determined; it’s clear these aren't new thoughts.
"I hate it, but she is after you. You are her target; she has no qualms about working with humans if it means getting her way." He sounds pained, almost as if he feels guilty.
"Then there’s all the more reason to go back. It’s too dangerous for the two of us to go after them."
Instead of listening, Drake takes a few more steps forward. "Dex, let's go home. We’ll get the others and come back." My words fall on deaf ears.
"Lilly, if we leave now, we’ll never find them."
Lyra walks slowly toward Drake. I know she agrees with me; perhaps she can get through to Drake, persuade him not to do this alone. "Stupid Alpha males," she mutters.
Suddenly the scent hits me. Even though we just discussed the possibility, my breath catches in my throat. It is unmistakably Alex.
Shit.
Against my better judgment, I try to persuade Dex one more time.
"If we turn back now, we will never know what they are planning. We won't attack, we stay hidden, so we will know what to expect when we come back with the others."
That plan sounds somewhat reasonable, although I would still prefer to turn back.
"Unless Alex tries to attack me again... then I'm ending this tonight."
Before I can object, Lyra picks up the scent. Another one. And another. Panic grips me as I realize there aren't just one or two of them, there are far more.
"Humans," Lyra informs me, as if that makes a difference. Alex is human. It can't be a coincidence. I try my best to stay calm; I have to stay calm. Their scent is fresh, though it’s clear they’ve tried to mask it.
"They are close," Lyra warns me.