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I crouched near a fallen log, my fingers brushing against the cool, packed earth. I scanned the ground, looking for disturbances, and spotted what I was looking for. There were heavy, deep imprints of boots pressing into the dirt, partially covered by shifting leaves, but still fresh.

Silas.

I knew his stride, the way he moved, how he shifted his weight. He walked like he was carrying something heavier than just supplies. Like he carried the weight of the world itself.

Rowan’s tracks were beside his—longer strides, lighter steps, more controlled. Varek’s were even lighter, the bastard moving with the effortless grace of someone who never second-guessed his own steps, never had to worry about being caught.

They were heading south, toward the caves.

I let out a slow breath, my pulse calming. Silas might have thought he was protecting me by leaving me behind, but he had underestimated me. I was better than he thought, faster and smarter than he gave me credit for.

With one last glance over my shoulder to make sure no one had followed, I straightened, adjusted the weight of my pack, and slipped into the trees, my steps quick, my movements silent.

I wasn’t just following them.

I wascatching up.

CHAPTER17

Silas

The forest stretched wide and empty ahead of us, the mist curling low around the trees, eerie in the early morning light. The cold bit at my skin, but it was nothing compared to the satisfaction settling in my chest.

Lia was safe.

There was no doubt in my mind that she was back at camp, under Jax’s watchful eye, exactly where she needed to be. I hadn’t missed the defiant glint in her eyes when I told her she wasn’t coming. I knew she was mad as hell about it. This wasn’t a fight she was built for though, at least not while she was still human.

Rowan moved at my side, his knowing blue gaze scanning the horizon, while Varek walked a little ahead, leading the way with the kind of arrogant ease that made my hackles rise. Behind us, three of my wolves flanked our trail—Ryan, a wiry, sharp-eyed scout who had been tracking since he was old enough to shift; Caleb, broad-shouldered and quiet, one of the best fighters I had; and Hale, young, but fast and eager to prove himself.

They had all volunteered for this mission, despite knowing what we were up against. While we walked, Varek filled them in on what little we’d managed to piece together about the Nyktos. His voice sounded almost reluctant as he pushed a branch out of his way, scanning the woods ahead.

“They don’t hunt like anything we’ve ever seen,” he said. “They don’t charge in or act on impulse. They don’t take risks. They wait. Watch. They strike when they choose to, and then… they’re just gone.”

Rowan scoffed, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “Sounds like they’re thinking.”

Varek nodded once. “That’s the problem.” He glanced back at the group, his expression serious. “I’ve seen the patterns. Sent out a scout team a few weeks ago—five men, heavily armed, trained for hostile recon. I monitored their movement for four days.”

He paused.

“And then—nothing. Radio contact cut. No distress signal. They just vanished.”

Ryan frowned. “So, what the hell happened to them?”

“I don’t know,” Varek muttered. “I found their gear: a boot, a broken comm unit, a bloody captain’s log. But no trails, no bodies, no signs of a fight. Just… gone.”

“You didn’t mention this before,” I said, narrowing my eyes.

Varek exhaled, clearly not proud of the answer. “Because I needed you with me. I needed backup. If I’d told you that the last trained squad that I sent out disappeared without a trace, I figured you wouldn’t come.”

I clenched my jaw, but couldn’t argue. He wasn’t wrong.

Caleb stepped over a root and cleared his throat. “So what are they doing? Why take people?”

Varek hesitated. “I don’t know. But something’s changing. The captain’s log noted increasing movement around old mining corridors and cave networks we thought were inactive. Areas that haven’t had wildlife in months are starting to rot. All evidence points to the fact that there are more of them with each passing day.”

Hale’s face was pale. “So, what happens when there are too many?”

Varek’s voice dropped, his tone final. “Then we lose. All of us.”