Chapter 85: The Alpha’s Visitor Anna POV

The air was different that morning, thick with tension and unease. Even as the sun broke through the trees, bathing Crescent Grove in warm light, I couldn’t shake the prickling sensation at the back of my neck. Lucas and I had remained in the shadows since the festival, conscious that staying too long in one area could lead to calamity. But today, calamity found us.

A harsh knock rang through the cabin door. Lucas paused mid-step, his body tensing as he exchanged a wary glance with me.

"I’ll check," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

I reached for his arm, my grip firm. "Don’t open it."

The knock came again, louder this time, followed by a muffled voice. "Caleb! Lia! Darius needs you at the main hall. Now."

Lucas let out a breath and pulled away. "It’s one of the scouts. Stay here."

I muttered, my heart racing, "No. We cannot take the chance of appearing suspicious if they require both of us."

His jaw tensed as he paused, and then he nodded. We exited the cabin together, each step deliberate.

There was a lot of bustle in the main hall. With solemn looks, warriors spoke in low whispers to one another. Tension overwhelmed Darius's normally calm demeanor as he stood at the middle of the chaos. And beside him stood a man I knew right away.

Oliver.

Lucas tensed up next to me, and I could hardly hold back my gasp. Oliver had a commanding presence, his dark eyes sweeping the room like a predator evaluating its victim. With their threatening positions, his warriors flanked him, making it obvious they weren’t paying him a nice visit.

Oliver stated, "Alpha Darius," with ease, yet there was a weight in his voice that made the room quiet. "Thank you for your hospitality, but I have to say that this isn’t just a social visit."

With a courteous but forced smile, Darius bowed his head. "Allies are always welcome at the Crescent Grove Pack. Alpha Oliver, why have you come to our borders?"

Oliver's eyes moved across the assembled wolves, remaining long enough to cause unease in all. "I’m trying to find two rogues. A woman and a man. Although they’ve probably taken on fake names, they go by Lucas and Anna. They’ve been avoiding my group for weeks, and they are crafty and dangerous."

My blood froze. As my mind raced, Lucas's fingers touched mine and grounded me.

Darius cocked his head, pretending to be perplexed. "You say rogues? I haven’t seen a pair like that here. My scouts frequently patrol the borders. We would be aware if there were intruders."

Oliver's eyes did not meet his smile. "From a pack as watchful as yours, I would anticipate nothing less. However, it wouldn’t hurt to check again, would it?"

Unnoticeably, Darius's jaw stiffened. "Obviously. You are free to explore the area, but be certain that your efforts will be in vain."

Lucas leaned in from where we were standing close to the back of the room, his words almost audible above a whisper. "We must depart. Right now."

With my eyes fixed on Oliver, I muttered back, "Not yet." His eyes were too keen, too calculating. He was searching for someone or anything.

Oliver turned to face his troops and motioned for them to disperse. "Look everywhere. I want them located if they are here."

Wolves shifted to comply, and the hall came alive with activity. Lucas took hold of my hand and dragged me to the door. We darted into the trees, breathing heavily as we slid out undetected.

"Where are we going?" My voice trembled as I asked.

Lucas answered in a somber tone, "Somewhere they won’t think to look. But we must act quickly. Oliver is a persistent person."

The woodland bottom masked the sound of our footsteps as we ran until my lungs burned. Lucas finally dragged me behind a stand of dense shrubs, where we huddled to catch our breath.

He mumbled, his annoyance barely controlled, "I told you this would happen. We ought to have departed days ago."

"And where have you gone?" My voice was sharper than I meant to be, but I shot back. "It’s not as though we’re in a safe haven."

He remained silent, staring in the direction we had come from. At last, he remarked in a calmer tone, "I’ll find one. But we have to concentrate on surviving right now."

A howl pierced the atmosphere, far away but clear. My heart tightened as Lucas's face grew serious.

He responded, "They’re close," and suddenly stood up. "Come on."

As we ventured more into the forest, the quiet accentuated every sound. Everything seemed to be a harbinger of catastrophe, including the snap of a twig and the rustle of leaves.

"Do you believe Darius will resist?" My question was hardly audible above a whisper.

After a moment of hesitation, Lucas shook his head. "I’m not sure. Oliver is not the type of man you can bluff indefinitely, no matter how hard he tries."

My stomach turned at the thought. Darius wasn’t our enemy, but he wasn’t our ally either. The repercussions would be severe if Oliver thought he was concealing us.

We came to a halt by a tiny brook, and the sound of the flowing water drowned out our murmurs. Lucas dropped to a crouch and looked about.

With a tone that left no space for debate, he declared, "We’ll rest here for a bit."

My thoughts were racing as I sat next to him. What if he discovers us?

Lucas gave me a stern, but not vicious, look. "He won’t."

"What if he does, though?" With a shaky voice, I pressed.

His hand touched mine as he extended it. "Then we fight."

Fear twisted in my chest, but the conviction in his words kept me steady.

Closer this time, another howl rang out through the jungle. Lucas rose up and pulled me to my feet, his hand tightening around mine.

With a stern yet low voice, he declared, "No more waiting. Tonight, we’re heading out."

I nodded as we disappeared back into the darkness, my heart racing. The knot encircling us was getting tighter as Oliver's wolves approached.

However, we weren’t surrendering easily.