Chapter 237 The loud warning

Chapter 237: Chapter 237 The loud warning

Talia’s POV

The camp was quiet as Silas continued his examination of the dead wolf. The rest of us had set up a small fire, and the flames cast flickering shadows across the clearing. I could not take my eyes off Silas, watching his hands move carefully over the wounds.

Kaelen stood at the edge of the clearing, with his eyes scanning the trees. His hand rested on his sword, and I could see the tension in his shoulders. I knew that he was ready for anything.

Jax sat by the fire, poking at the flames with a stick. "So we are really camping next to a dead body," he muttered. "This is fine. This is completely fine."

Piper shook her head. "Jax, will you stop complaining?"

"I am not complaining," Jax said. "I am just stating a fact. We are camping next to a dead body."

"You said that already," Piper said.

"Because it is worth repeating," Jax countered.

I walked to stand beside Silas. "What do you think?" I asked.

He did not look up. "I need more time, Luna. But whatever did this... it was not just hunting for food."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "What do you mean?"

He looked at me, and his eyes were grim. "This was deliberate. Whoever did this wanted us to find it."

I looked at the wolf’s body, and I felt the cold settle deeper into my bones. "Why would someone do that?"

Silas shook his head. "I do not know yet, but I will try to find out."

A few minutes later, Kaelen walked over to us. "What do you see, Silas?"

Silas stood up, and his face was pale. "The wounds are precise, and clean. It was made by something sharp, but not claws. And they were made while the wolf was still alive."

My stomach turned. "It was tortured?"

"It was not really tortured," Silas said. "But it was killed slowly, and deliberately. Whoever did this wanted it to suffer."

Jax dropped his stick. "That is sick."

I looked at the wolf’s body again, and I felt the anger rising in my chest. "Whoever did this... they are trying to send a message."

Kaelen nodded. "Yes. And we need to figure out what that message is."

I shook my head. "I already know what the message is. They want us to turn back, and they want us to be afraid."

"Are you afraid?" Kaelen asked.

I looked at him, and I held his gaze. "No, but I am angry."

Piper’s voice was barely a whisper. "What kind of monster does that?"

Kaelen’s jaw tightened. "The kind that wants to send a message."

Silas looked at me, and his eyes were hard. "This was a warning, Luna. Someone knows we are coming."

I felt the words hit me like a blow. “A warning.” Someone knew we were coming, and someone was waiting for us.

Jax stood up. "Who would send a warning? And why?"

Kaelen shook his head. "I do not know. But whoever it is, it is clear that they want us to turn back."

I looked at the dead wolf, and I felt the anger rise in my chest. They wanted to scare us, they wanted us to run, and they wanted us to give up.

I clenched my fists, and I thought about my mother. She had been waiting for me for fifteen years, and she must had been holding on, hoping that someone would come for her. And I was not going to let her down.

I looked at Kaelen, and my voice was steady. "Good. Let them know."

Kaelen looked at me. "What?"

I turned to face the group. "Let them know we are coming, let them know we are not afraid, and let them know we are not turning back."

Piper’s eyes widened. "Talia..."

"I mean it," I said. "They want to scare us, and they want us to run. But I am done running. My mother is out there, and I am going to find her, no matter what."

Jax stared at me. "You are serious, Luna?"

"I have never been more serious in my life, Jax" I said.

Kaelen walked to me and took my hand. "Are you sure about this?"

I looked at him, and I saw the love in his eyes. "I am sure."

He squeezed my hand. "Then we do this together."

Silas nodded. "We should stay alert. If they left this as a warning, it means that they are watching us. There will be more signs."

Cain spoke for the first time in a long while. "We should double the watch tonight."

Kaelen nodded. "Agreed."

Jax sighed. "So we are really walking into a trap."

"Maybe," I said. "But I do not care. My mother is waiting for me."

Jax shook his head, but I saw the respect in his eyes. "You are insane, Luna. But I admire it."

Piper glared at Jax, then she walked to me and took my hand. "Talia, are you really okay?"