Chapter 177

Chapter 177
Alexander's POV

The Arctic wasteland stretched endlessly before us, a white hell that seemed determined to swallow us whole.

Each breath came out in visible puffs as Freya and I pushed through the knee-deep snow, our werewolf constitution the only thing keeping us from freezing to death.

'Eight days until the full moon,' I thought, checking my watch through my thick gloves. 'Luke's running out of time.'

I glanced at Freya trudging beside me, her face set with grim determination despite the exhaustion I could smell on her. Every few steps, she'd touch her chest where that strange silver light had been flickering stronger since we'd entered the wasteland.

"Alexander, look." Her voice cut through the howling wind, filled with wonder.

I followed her gaze and felt my jaw drop. Through the swirling snow, a patch of vibrant green stood out against the white landscape like an impossible oasis.

"That's... how the fuck is that forest still green in these conditions?" I squinted through the snow. "Normal plants can't survive this far north."

Freya was already moving toward it, that silver glow under her skin pulsing brighter. "I can feel it," she whispered. "Something ancient. Something powerful."

As we approached, I noticed a faint shimmer around the forest's edge - like heat waves, but silver. My Alpha instincts screamed danger, but also... recognition.

'This isn't natural. But then again, neither is moongrass.'

"Freya, wait." I caught her arm, scanning our surroundings with growing unease. "Something's been bothering me since we entered the wasteland."

She turned to me, eyebrows raised. "What?"

"It's been too easy. No hunter patrols, no wild animals, hell, I haven't even caught the scent of Hunters." I gestured at the pristine snow around us. "For such a supposedly dangerous place, it's eerily quiet."

Freya squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Maybe my grandfather's scent masking really is that good. Or we're just lucky."

I shook my head, my Alpha senses on high alert. "My gut's telling me something's wrong. Too quiet. Too... planned."

"But we have to go in," Freya said, looking at the forest with desperate hope. "Luke needs that moongrass."

'Fuck. She's right. Whatever trap might be waiting, Luke's life is worth the risk.'

We stepped across the forest boundary together, and immediately the world changed. The bitter cold vanished, replaced by a warm, humid air that smelled of earth and growing things. Towering trees stretched overhead, their branches heavy with leaves that shouldn't exist in this frozen wasteland.

"This is like stepping into another world," Freya breathed, staring up at the canopy.

The ground beneath our feet glowed with phosphorescent moss, creating an ethereal light that made everything seem dreamlike.

I could feel the power here - old, primal, protective.

"This forest is being protected by something," I said, keeping my voice low. "Most likely the moongrass itself."

We moved deeper into the trees, following Freya's increasingly strong connection to whatever was calling her. The silver light under her skin was no longer subtle - it flickered and pulsed like a living thing.

"Alexander, I can sense it now," she said, pointing toward the heart of the forest. "The moongrass is that way."

My stomach clenched. "Your power's getting stronger. What if it's interfering with the scent masking?"

Freya's face paled, but she pressed on. "We don't have a choice. Without this connection, we'd never find the moongrass in time."

'Damn it. She's putting herself at risk for Luke.'

---

The deeper we went, the stranger things became. Paths that I swore led one direction suddenly veered another way. My Alpha directional sense, usually flawless, seemed completely scrambled.

"The forest is testing us," Freya said, pausing to close her eyes and concentrate on her inner compass. "It wants to make sure we're worthy of what we're seeking."

Hours passed. My legs burned, and I could see Freya was flagging, each use of her power taking its toll.

But finally, we emerged into a circular clearing where silver flowers swayed in an unfelt breeze.

"There," Freya gasped, pointing at the luminous blooms. "Moongrass."

My sense of relief quickly vanished as I felt the corrupted magical energy permeating the clearing around us.

"Shit."

As we approached the flowers, nausea hit me like a truck. My skin burned, and my vision blurred. Beside me, Freya stumbled but kept moving, her silver light creating a protective barrier.

"I have to do this," she said through gritted teeth. "My bloodline is giving me some protection."

I watched helplessly as she knelt among the flowers, waiting for the right moment when moonlight broke through the clouds. When it did, she quickly harvested enough moongrass to fill our special container.

"Got it," she said, sealing the container. "Now we need to get the hell out of here."

But our relief was premature. As we headed back toward our entry point, I spotted lights through the trees. Vehicle headlights and portable floodlights.

"Hunters," I whispered, pulling Freya behind a massive tree trunk. "At least three teams, heavily armed."

We circled around to the second exit point, only to find the same thing - armed patrols waiting.

"What do we do?" Freya's voice was tight with fear. "Luke can't wait much longer."

I checked our remaining scent masking powder. Nearly empty.

"The time we spent in the forest, plus your power usage, it's burned through our cover," I said grimly. "We're essentially naked to their sensors now."

Freya's face crumpled. "This is my fault. I exposed us."

"No." I gripped her shoulders firmly. "Without your power, we never would have found the moongrass. Now we just have to fight our way out."

The third exit point was our last option. As we approached, an unnatural silence fell over the forest. No wind, no animal sounds - nothing.

"This quiet isn't right," I said, every instinct screaming danger.

Freya nodded, her own senses picking up the wrongness. "Something's waiting for us out there. But we don't have a choice."

'For Luke. For our son.'

I took her hand, squeezing tightly. "Whatever happens, we face it together."

"I trust you," she said simply. "We'll make it back to Luke."

I contacted Caleb through our mind link to alert them to meet us and prepare for battle.

Then I checked my silver-loaded weapons one last time while Freya gathered what remained of her power. We formulated a quick plan - move fast, if ambushed, split up to divide their fire.

"Ready?" I asked.

She nodded, and together we burst from the forest edge.

Immediately, blinding floodlights erupted around us like artificial suns. I threw up my hand to shield my eyes, cursing as dozens of red laser dots appeared on our bodies.

"Welcome to my hunting ground," came a cold, unfamiliar voice from behind the lights.

'Fuck. We walked right into their trap.'

"Alpha Alexander," the voice continued with mock politeness. "And the beautiful Miss Austen."