Chapter 92
We’d been closing in on him for weeks. Every lead, every tiny piece of information brought us closer, and tonight was the night. I could feel it. The air buzzed with a kind of crackling energy, as if the universe itself was holding its breath, waiting for what was about to unfold.
Jake, Fatima, and I had assembled a small team. We couldn’t risk taking too many pack members — word would get back to Andrew, and that slimy traitor would tip off our mystery man. Instead, we chose our most trusted warriors. This was a surgical strike.
“Are you sure about this?” Jake asked, his voice low and urgent as he strapped on his gear. He didn’t need weapons to fight — his wolf was weapon enough — but tonight, we couldn’t afford mistakes. He looked up at me, eyes searching mine for any flicker of hesitation.
I nodded, determination coursing through me. “We need to end this tonight, Jake. If we don’t, he’ll slip away again, and more lives will be lost.”
Fatima stepped forward, her expression grim but focused. “We have to take the chance. Our source said he’s hiding out near the old lumber mill. He thinks we don’t know where he is.”
I swallowed hard, thinking of Tim, of the woman who had died convulsing right in front of me. “This ends tonight,” I repeated, my voice a steely whisper.
We moved silently through the forest, the moonlight filtering through the bare branches, casting eerie shadows on the ground. I could hear the faint rustle of leaves under our feet, the only sound cutting through the thick silence. My heart pounded, each beat echoing in my ears. I glanced at Jake beside me, his face set in stone. He was in Alpha mode now, every muscle tense and ready for a fight.
“We’re close,” he muttered, sniffing the air. His eyes darkened. “He’s here.”
We approached the mill cautiously, moving like shadows in the night. The old, decrepit building loomed before us, its windows broken and dark. The scent of damp wood and rust filled the air, mixed with something else — something acrid and sharp, like the stench of fear.
Suddenly, there was a flicker of movement inside. I held up a hand, signaling for silence. Jake and Fatima moved to flank the entrance while I crouched low, peering through a crack in the wall.
A tall figure moved inside, dressed in black from head to toe. His face was obscured by a hood, but his movements were confident, purposeful. He was alone, or at least he seemed to be.
“This is it,” I whispered to Fatima. “We’ve got him.”
Fatima’s eyes flashed with excitement, her fingers curling into fists. “Let’s take him.”
I gave Jake a nod, and we burst through the door together, shattering the silence. The figure spun around, his eyes glinting beneath the shadow of his hood. For a split second, our eyes locked, and I felt a cold shiver run down my spine.
“You!” I shouted. “It’s over. We know what you’ve done.”
The man didn’t respond. He lunged forward instead, faster than I’d anticipated. I barely had time to duck as he swung a knife at me, the blade glinting in the moonlight. He was strong — stronger than any human should be. So he was a werewolf as well.
Jake shifted partially, his eyes glowing, claws extending as he launched himself at the man. The sound of snarling filled the room as Jake’s claws ripped through the air, narrowly missing the man’s throat.
The hooded figure dodged with inhuman speed, a smirk twisting his lips. “You think you’ve won?” he hissed, his voice deep and distorted.
Fatima charged at him from the side, throwing a punch aimed at his ribs. He caught her fist mid-air and twisted her arm. I lunged forward, tackling him before he could hurt her, sending us both crashing into a pile of old wooden beams.
He slammed his elbow into my ribs, knocking the wind out of me. I fell back, gasping for air, and watched as he scrambled to his feet, making a break for the door.
Jake was on him in an instant, tackling him to the ground. The two of them rolled across the dusty floor, a blur of limbs and fury. The man was quick, but Jake was quicker. He pinned him down, his hand closing around the hood, pulling it back.
But before we could see his face, there was a sudden crash, and the back door burst open.
Andrew.
“Let him go!” Andrew yelled, his voice filled with a mockery that made my blood boil.
“You traitor!” I screamed, lunging at him.
Andrew dodged, laughing as he danced away from me. “Come now, Luna. Is that any way to greet an old friend?”
“We were never friends,” I spat, trying to swing at him again. He ducked under my arm, and before I could react, he yanked the hooded man up from the ground.
Jake tried to grab him, but the hooded man moved like a shadow, slipping out of Jake’s grasp. He kicked Jake hard in the chest, sending him flying back into the wall.
“Jake!” I shouted, rushing to his side.
Jake coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. “I’m fine,” he growled, pushing himself up. “Don’t let them get away.”
But it was too late. The hooded figure and Andrew were already out the door, sprinting towards the forest.
Fatima and I bolted after them, but they were fast, disappearing into the trees like wraiths. We followed their scent as best we could, the moonlight barely guiding our way through the dense foliage. Branches scratched at my face and arms, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t let them escape.
“There!” Fatima pointed ahead, where we could see shadows moving swiftly between the trees.
I pushed harder, my legs burning as I sprinted. I was almost close enough to reach out and grab Andrew when he suddenly turned, throwing something at my feet. I jumped back just in time as a small explosion of smoke erupted, blinding me.
Coughing, I stumbled forward, waving the smoke away. By the time it cleared, they were gone.
Fatima came up beside me, panting heavily. “Damn it! They had this planned. They knew we’d find them.”
I slammed my fist into a tree, the bark cracking under the force. “They were taunting us,” I seethed. “Andrew wanted us to chase him, to show us that we can’t catch them.”
Jake stumbled out of the forest, blood smeared across his face but his expression fierce. “We almost had him,” he said, his voice thick with frustration. “But at least now we know.”
“We know it’s a man,” I agreed. “But we still don’t know who.”
Fatima cursed under her breath. “He was strong, Priscilla. Faster than any normal werewolf I’ve ever seen.”
I nodded, thinking back to the way he’d moved, the way he’d smirked at us as if he were invincible. “He’s not just any man. He’s something else.”
Jake wiped the blood from his mouth, looking out into the dark forest. “This isn’t over,” he said quietly. “Not by a long shot.”
I took his hand, squeezing it tight. “No, it’s not. But we’re closer than we’ve ever been. He can’t hide forever.”
Jake met my eyes, and for a moment, the fierce determination there sent a shiver down my spine. He wasn’t going to let this go, and neither was I.
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