Chapter 117 Chapter 108

Chapter 117 Chapter 108
Ethan
We had to find Andromeda. Every moment she remained hidden felt like a countdown to disaster. The retreat of the rogues and minions felt too easy, too deliberate, as if they wanted us to think we’d won something. I wasn’t convinced. Their movements were calculated, their retreat orchestrated, and the nagging feeling in my gut told me they were hiding something critical. Something that couldn’t wait.
After ensuring the immediate safety of the pack’s borders, I ordered the men accompanying me to return to the pack to regroup and recover. But I couldn’t just leave it at that. My instincts demanded more. But I needed to do this alone. If there was a trap waiting, I wouldn’t risk anyone else falling into it. This fight wasn’t just about protecting the pack - it was personal.
With my wolf sharpened and focused, I continued alone, following the faint trail they had left behind. I followed the faintest traces of the rogues’ scent, my paws moving silently over the damp earth as I weaved through the trees.
The tracks were erratic, almost as if they wanted to be found. It didn’t sit right with me, but I couldn’t ignore it either. Every step felt like a game of cat and mouse, a chase with no clear end. The forest grew denser as I pressed on, the sunlight barely filtering through the thick canopy above. My paws moved silently over the underbrush, my senses on high alert. Hours seemed to pass, though I wasn’t sure. Time had a way of slipping away when you were running on instinct, driven by nothing but the need for answers.
But then, as abruptly as it began, the trail vanished. One moment, the scent was clear, strong even, and the next, it was gone, as if it had been snuffed out entirely. My wolf bristled, frustration and suspicion prickling beneath my fur. I circled the area, scanning for any sign of movement, any trace of their passing. There was nothing. No footprints, no lingering scent, no broken branches to mark their path. It was as if they had evaporated into thin air.
That’s when I saw it, a hollow cave hidden among the dense trees. It was small, unassuming, its entrance partially concealed by moss and tangled roots. My instincts flared, a warning or an invitation - I wasn’t sure which. But I couldn’t ignore it.
I shifted back to human form, the forest around me suddenly feeling too quiet, too still. My breath misted in the cool air as I stepped toward the cave, ducking under the low entrance. Inside, the air was damp and heavy, the faint smell of earth and stone pressing against my senses. The space was cramped, the jagged walls close enough to brush my shoulders as I moved deeper.
At first glance, it seemed like nothing more than a natural formation, a forgotten corner of the forest untouched by time. But as I ran my fingers along the rough stone, I felt it - a faint hum, a vibration in the air. Magic. Subtle, ancient, and deliberately concealed. Andromeda’s handiwork, no doubt.
I pressed forward, the dim light from the entrance fading until the cave was plunged into darkness. My wolf stirred restlessly, its instincts sharp and wary. The cave was small, too small to hide an army or even a group of minions. But the magic lingering here was undeniable. It was like a ghost, a trace of something powerful that had been here once and left its mark.
I reached the end of the cave, my hands brushing against the smooth stone wall. There was nothing here - no hidden passage, no trapdoor, no sign of Andromeda’s forces. But the air was thick with the feeling of something left behind, like an echo of her presence.
Frustration boiled in my chest. This had been a dead end, a distraction to throw us off her trail. I clenched my fists, the rough stone biting into my skin. Andromeda was always one step ahead, always slipping through our fingers just when we thought we were close.
With no other choice, I turned and began the journey back to the pack.
By the time I returned to the pack’s borders, the sun had risen higher in the sky, casting long shadows across the forest floor. My muscles ached from the tension, my mind racing with what little I’d uncovered. The barrier that Andromeda had erected, the magical traces left in the cave - it was all too deliberate, too calculated. She wasn’t just hiding. She was preparing.
As I crossed the threshold of the pack house, I found Grace in the lobby, her hand resting protectively over her belly as she coordinated with the intel team. Her sharp brown eyes met mine, narrowing as she took in my disheveled appearance.
“You look like hell,” she said, her tone laced with dry humor.
“And you look like you’re about to command an army,” I shot back, a faint smile tugging at my lips despite the tension.
She looked at me, her expression softening as she took me in. “Did you find anything?”
I shook my head, the weight of my failure settling heavily on my shoulders. “The trail led to a cave, but there was nothing there. Just… magic. Old magic. She’s masking her movements.”
Grace’s expression darkened, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Then we’re still blind.”
“For now,” I said, my voice firm despite the frustration gnawing at me. “But we’re getting closer. She left a trace. It’s subtle, but it’s there. We just need to figure out how to follow it.”
Her gaze softened slightly, and she nodded. “We’ll figure it out,” she said, her tone steady. “We don’t have a choice.”
I turned toward the stairs, my body aching for rest but my mind refusing to settle. I needed to see Rose, to tell her what I’d found - or what I hadn’t found. But more than that, I needed her perspective. If anyone could decipher the puzzle Andromeda had left behind, it was her.
When I entered the room, Rose was nowhere to be found.
The empty room greeted me like a warning, the absence of Rose’s presence hitting me harder than I expected. The air was still, the faint scent of her lingering in the space, but there was no sign of her. My chest tightened as my mind raced through the possibilities. Where could she have gone?
“Rose?” I called out, my voice breaking the silence. There was no answer.
I linked her immediately, but there was no response. My wolf stirred uneasily, pacing within me as frustration and worry built in equal measure. She wouldn’t have left without telling someone - at least, she shouldn’t have. Rose had been pushing herself harder and harder lately, and the thought that she might have done something reckless to try and find Andromeda sent a fresh wave of unease through me.
I turned and headed back downstairs, my footsteps heavy against the wooden floor. Grace was still in the lobby, speaking with Josh and Mia in hushed tones. Her gaze snapped to mine the moment she saw me, her sharp instincts picking up on the tension radiating off me.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, her brow furrowing.
“Rose,” I said curtly. “She’s not in our room. Have you seen her?”
Grace shook her head, concern flashing across her face. “No. Not since last night. Have you tried linking her?”
“She’s not answering,” I said, the words clipped as I fought to keep my worry in check. “She wouldn’t just disappear like this. Not now.”
Grace’s expression darkened, and she straightened, her hand resting protectively over her belly. “Then we need to find her. If she’s gone looking for Andromeda alone…”
The unspoken fear hung heavy between us. Grace didn’t need to finish the sentence for me to understand. If Rose had gone after Andromeda, if she was out there alone…
I turned to Josh and Mia, my voice sharp and commanding. “Get the patrol units moving. Sweep the territory. Check the woods, the training grounds, everywhere. I want eyes on every inch of the pack lands.”
“Yes, Alpha,” they said in unison, already moving to carry out my orders.
Grace stepped closer, her gaze steady but filled with worry. “Ethan, she’s strong. She wouldn’t go out there unless she thought she could handle it.”
“She shouldn’t have to handle it alone,” I muttered, my fists clenching at my sides. My wolf growled low in agreement, its unease growing with every passing second.
I headed toward the door, the pull of the woods stronger than ever. Grace caught my arm before I could leave, her grip firm despite her condition. “Be careful,” she said, her voice quiet but resolute. “We can’t afford to lose you, too.”
I met her gaze, nodding tightly. “I’ll find her.”
The moment I stepped outside, the cool forest air hit me like a slap, sharpening my senses. I shifted without hesitation, the familiar snap and stretch of my bones grounding me as I embraced my wolf form. The world became sharper, every sound, every scent magnified as I began my search.
Her scent was faint, but it was there - a trail leading into the woods. My paws hit the ground in a steady rhythm, the urgency in my chest propelling me forward. The forest blurred around me as I followed her path, weaving through the trees with precision. My mind raced with every possibility, every worst-case scenario, but I forced myself to focus. Rose was strong. She was capable. I had to believe that.