Dennis broke the silence. “What happens if we don’t stop it?”
Eryx looked out toward the forest. “Then it will open completely — and whatever’s on the other side will come through.”
A cold weight settled in my stomach. “You mean the shadows.”
He didn’t look at me. “No. Worse.”
By morning, the pack was on lockdown. Patrols doubled, barriers strengthened. The training field was now a command center. Maps spread across tables, relics placed near Eryx’s tools.
Everyone moved with quiet purpose, though fear lingered beneath it.
Asher and I barely spoke that morning. He was focused, calm on the outside, but I could feel his worry through the bond. It mirrored my own.
Eryx stood by the map, tracing the lines of energy spreading through the territory. “If Rafe keeps following the trail of t
