Chapter 240 Talia’s constant worry

Chapter 240: Chapter 240 Talia’s constant worry

Talia’s POV

I shifted my weight on the cold cave ground

"Do you think she is scared?" I asked, needing some reassurance to calm my heart.

He was quiet for a moment. "I think she is strong. And I think she knows you are coming, because you are both connected by your special powers."

I shook my head. "How can you be so sure?"

He reached over and took my hand. "Because she is your mother, and you are her daughter too."

I felt the tears prick at my eyes. "I do not feel strong."

"You do not have to feel strong," he said. "You just have to keep going."

Piper walked over and sat beside me. "Are you okay?"

"I am fine," I said. "Just tired."

She leaned her head on my shoulder. "We are going to find her, Talia. I know we are."

I smiled. "I know."

Jax sat across from us, with his back against the cave wall. "So, we are really doing this? Hiding in caves like rogues?"

Silas shook his head. "We are being smart."

"Smart," Jax repeated. "Sure. Let us call it that."

Night fell, and we moved out.

The forest was dark and dangerous. The trees loomed overhead, with their branches reaching toward the sky like grasping fingers. The only sounds were the soft footfalls of the horses and the whisper of the wind.

I rode beside Kaelen, with my eyes scanning the shadows.

"I feel it again," I whispered.

He looked at me. "The eyes?"

I nodded. "They are still watching us."

He did not look back. "Keep moving. We cannot stop."

Jax rode up beside us. "Is it just me, or does this forest feel like it is alive?"

Piper shivered. "Do not say that."

Jax looked around at the dark trees. "I am serious. Look at them. They are all leaning in, like they are listening."

Piper glared at him. "Jax, you are not helping."

"I am not trying to help," Jax said. "I am just telling you what I see."

Silas shook his head. "What you see is your imagination running wild."

"My imagination is perfectly fine," Jax fired back. "It is the forest that is the problem."

Kaelen turned in his saddle. "Jax, if you do not stop talking, I will leave you here to keep the trees company."

Jax’s mouth dropped open. "Kaelen, that is not funny."

"I am not joking," Kaelen said.

Piper laughed quietly. "He is not joking, Jax."

Jax looked at me. "Luna, are you going to let him talk to me like that?"

I shrugged. "He is the Alpha. And you are being dramatic."

"I am not being dramatic," Jax said. "I am being realistic."

"You are being dramatic," Piper repeated.

"I am just saying," Jax said. "It feels like the trees are watching us."

Silas glanced back at him. "Jax, stop talking."

"I am not talking," Jax said. "I am just stating a fact."

"You are still talking," Silas said.

Jax opened his mouth to argue, but Piper cut him off. "Jax. Quiet."

He closed his mouth.

We rode in silence for hours. The moon was hidden behind clouds, and the darkness was thick and heavy. I kept my hand on my pendant, feeling the warmth of it against my skin.

When the first light of dawn began to break, Kaelen raised his hand.

"There," he said, pointing to a rocky outcropping. "We stop there."

We dismounted and led the horses to the cave. It was deeper than the last one, and more hidden. The entrance was narrow, and the walls were rough and uneven.

Jax ducked inside and looked around. "This one is better. It is still cold and damp, but at least it does not smell like mold."

Piper shook her head. "Jax, you are impossible."

"I am optimistic," Jax said. "There is a difference."

I found a spot near the back of the cave and sat down. My body was exhausted, but my mind was still racing. And still, I could not sleep.

Kaelen sat beside me. "You should rest."

"I cannot," I said. "I keep thinking about her."

He reached over and took my hand. "We are getting closer. I can feel it."

"How do you know?" I asked.

He looked at me, and his gray eyes were steady. "Because I can feel it. And because I believe in you."

I squeezed his hand. "Thank you."

Piper walked over and handed me a piece of bread. "Eat, Talia. You need your strength."

I took it and forced myself to take a bite. "Thank you, Piper."

She sat beside me. "We are going to find her. I know we are."

I looked at her, and I felt the tears prick at my eyes. "I hope you are right."

"I am right," she said. "I can feel it."

I looked out at the forest, and I felt the weight of the journey pressing down on me. But I did not feel afraid, I felt determined.

I gripped my pendant, and I whispered to myself. "I am getting closer. I can feel it. Somewhere out there, my mother is waiting. And I will not stop until I find her."

Kaelen walked to me and sat beside me. "Are you okay?"

I looked at him. "I am getting closer to her. I can feel it in me."

He nodded. "I know."

Piper sat on my other side. "I also believe that we are almost there. I can feel it too."

I looked out at the forest, and I felt the hope rising in my chest. Somewhere out there, my mother was waiting, and I was coming for her.