The Silent Trail
Chapter 89
Aria stood frozen, the pendant heavy in her palm. It gleamed faintly in the dim light, the silver chain darkened by blood that hadn’t fully dried. Her fingers trembled as she turned it over once, twice, as though some hidden mark might tell her what it meant.
Kael stepped closer, his sword still drawn. “Drop it.”
“It’s just a pendant,” she whispered, though her voice shook.
“Nothing about this is ‘just’ anything anymore.” Lucien rasped, his tone dark.
Aria crouched slowly, setting the pendant on a flat rock. It caught the pale sunlight filtering through the canopy and shined softly. She could smell the blood, sharp and metallic. It made her stomach churn. Jake had only been gone an hour. Wolves didn’t bleed that much in an hour unless…
She pushed the thought away before she could finish it.
Kael’s eyes swept the trees again, every muscle in his body coiled tight with tension. “They could’ve killed him quietly, left nothing behind. This…” he nodded at the pendant “is a message.”
The pendant lay where Aria dropped it, on the stone. No one spoke. The forest had gone so silent that even the crickets seemed to know something was wrong.
Aria’s swallowed and whispered out, “What message did they want to send?”
Lucien gave a low, humorless chuckle, leaning back against the rock. His voice was rough, laced with pain, “Probably that that they have us cornered.”
Aria’s eyes darted toward him. “What?”
“Scouts don’t whistle unless they’re marking territory or signaling. And they don’t waste time with dramatics like displaying trophies. They want us to move. The question is where?”
Kael turned back to the trees. “Doesn’t matter. We’re not waiting to find out.” He sheathed his blade and started gathering their meager supplies. “We move now.”
Aria didn’t move. Kael watched her for a few seconds before calling out, “Now.”
Aria nodded once, tearing her eyes away from the faint silver glint. “You’re right,” she murmured, glancing at her mate. “Besides, Lucien needs a healer.”
Lucien managed a smirk that looked more like a grimace. “Oh, so now you care about my survival.”
Aria rolled her eyes, but her tone softened. “I never stopped.”
“Save your breath,” Kael said, sliding an arm beneath his shoulder. “You’ll need it if you want to see the gates.”
“Then we’d better start walking.”
For the first hour, everything seemed fine…normal even. Only the crunch of dried leaves beneath their boots, Lucien’s uneven breathing, and Kael’s clipped mutters as he scanned the surrounding area.
Then that same slimy voice returned, filled with glee. It was faint at first, like a snake slithering through grass. “Running again, little wolves?” She turned quickly, scanning the area behind them, but there was nothing.
Lucien groaned softly, between them. “Tell me I just imagined that.”
“You didn’t,” Aria replied.
Kael’s jaw tightened, “Ignore it.” His hand dropped to his blade, “That’s what it wants. You hear the voice, you start doubting everything. That’s how they break you.”
The voice came again, closer now, almost like it was walking right behind them. “He’s slowing you down, Alpha Vale. Leave him here. You can’t carry dead weight forever.”
“Easy for you to say,” Lucien groaned, leaning heavily on Kael’s shoulder. “You’re not the one in danger of being left behind.”
Aria’s stomach churned. “Keep moving,” she said through clenched teeth.
Lucien managed a strained grin. “Sure my love.”
Kael muttered, “It probably feeds on our reaction. Don’t give it one.”
So they kept walking.
Every few minutes the voice seemed to whisper something new, her name, Kael’s, sometimes a sound that mimicked Lucien’s wheezing laugh. Once, Aria thought she saw a shadow slip between the trees beside them, but when she turned, there was nothing.
The hours soon blurred together. The sun rose fully, then sank again behind clouds. The trees grew taller, older, the roots tangled and slick beneath their boots. Aria’s legs burned, her shoulders screamed from supporting Lucien’s weight, but she refused to stop.
“You’ll bring death to his doorstep,” the voice hissed, “It’s inevitable.”
Aria bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood. “Not listening,” she muttered.
Kael’s eyes flicked towards her. “Good. Keep it that way.”
Lucien tried to chuckle but it came out a groan. “If I die on this trail, I’m haunting both of you.”
“Shut up,” Kael said, though his voice lacked bite.
By evening, the trees thinned and they finally broke through the treeline, the sight that met them was almost surreal. Talll wooden walls, smoke curling from distant chimneys, and the faint, familiar scent of wolves.
Kael paused at a rise and pointed ahead. “There,” he said. “You see it?” Through the break in the canopy, torches burned faintly along the wall. This was Lucien’s pack. Home.
Relief rippled through Aria so sudden it nearly brought her to her knees. Until the voice spoke again, right beside her ear. “You think walls will save you? Wolves build cages and call them homes.”
She spun, her heart pounding against her chest. Nothing. Kael watched her carefully. “Still hearing it?”
She nodded. “Closer now.”
He frowned. “Then let’s hurry.”
They descended the slope. With every step nearer the walls, the oppressive weight of feeling eyes on them eased, the air losing that charged tension that had haunted them for days.
Lucien whispered hoarsely, “Do you hear that?”
“What?” Aria asked.
He smiled faintly. “Exactly. Nothing.”
And he was right. The voice had stopped.
The guards stationed at the gate spotted them first. One guard immediately noticed Lucien; pale, bloodied, leaning heavily on Kael and Aria.
“Alpha Lucien!” he cried, his voice cracking with disbelief. “By the Goddess, open the gate!”
Shouts rang out and the gates was hurriedly opened. Wolves in human form running out. Aria barely registered the chaos as hands reached to take Lucien from her. He tried to protest but exhaustion had stolen his strength. They lifted him carefully, carrying him toward the infirmary that was situated near the center of the compound.
Kael stayed at her side as the gates closed behind them with a heavy thud. Inside, everything was movement. Voices shouting orders. Healers called forward. Aria found herself shoved aside gently but firmly as pack members hurried to carry Lucien away on a makeshift stretcher.
“Get him to the infirmary!” someone barked. “Now!”
Lucien’s eyes flicked toward her as they lifted him. “Wait—” he started, but the words drowned under the noise as they carried him away.
Aria reached out, but Kael’s hand caught her wrist. “Let them work.”