Chapter 49

CHAPTER FOURTY-NINE

FEW DAYS AGO

CADEN'S POINT OF VIEW

I scanned the streets and there was an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, a sense that something wasn't quite right. But I pushed the feeling aside.

My instincts pointed my attention to a certain corner. My eyes narrowed as I stared at it — I decided to go there and survey.

I rounded the corner but as I walked, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. I glanced over my shoulder, but there was nothing and no one there. Still, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

I paused, my senses tingling. There was a faint scent in the air, unfamiliar and unsettling. I took a deep breath, trying to pinpoint its source.

With caution, I continued moving as the scent was coming from where I had initially been suspicious of.

Suddenly, a noise broke the silence. I froze, my muscles tensing as I strained to listen. There it was again, a soft rustling in the bushes nearby.

I approached cautiously, my hand hovering near my