CHAPTER 72

"I needed to be careful not to sprain my ankle on the tree roots," he thought to himself as he strode through the pitch black.

The full moon, high in the sky, illuminated the scenery and carnick bars reaching across the thickets around the pack grounds, despite the darkness.

A lone man paced anxiously in the middle of the forest, out of earshot and, more crucially, out of sight.

Jake spun around and leaped into action as soon as the twig snapped in the pitch-blackness of night.

He had reached his final objective at last.

A tall, strong man—about six and a half feet tall, according to Jake—stepped out from behind the curtain.

Shouting out a respectful "Beta," he kneeled on one knee.

Taking a deep breath to steady his rushing thoughts, Elijah stepped outside into the soft moonlight.

Elijah whispered, "Report Jake," and he gently yanked Jake to his feet.

Jake could feel the jitters building in as he prepared to give out information that he was more than confident would generate