CHAPTER 12

We quickly traveled through the woods. I could sense the worry coming from our pack, their eyes moving around fearfully as we got closer to Silver Creek's land. Xander walked next to me, and his being there was a reassuring presence in the mess of my thoughts.

When we were close to the edge of Silver Creek, I had a strange feeling… something was not right. I couldn't exactly explain it, but my gut was telling me that there was a problem. I looked at Xander, wondering if he had the same feeling.

“Xander,” I whispered, not wanting to alarm the others, “something's not right here.”

He nodded, his jaw tight. “I feel it too. Stay alert.”

We crossed into Silver Creek territory, and the wrongness of the situation hit me like a physical blow. The forest was eerily quiet, devoid of the sounds of battle we'd expected. There were no signs of the reported rogue attack, no scents of fear or blood in the air.

Xander raised his hand, signaling the pack to halt. “Split up and search the area,” he com