Chapter 229 Unclaimed territories

Chapter 229: Chapter 229 Unclaimed territories

Talia’s POV

The morning light filtered through the trees, pale and thin.

I blinked against the soft glow, feeling the chill of the morning air on my skin. The forest was still and quiet, and I could hear the distant sound of a stream somewhere nearby.

As we woke, we started to move soon after and packed up from the camp. The fire must have died during the night.

I stared at the ashes for a moment, remembering the warmth of the flames and the comfort of Kaelen’s arms around me. It felt like a lifetime ago.

And the air was cool and crisp, and I could see my breath in the morning air.

We ate a quick breakfast.

Jax made a joke about the dried meat, and Silas rolled his eyes. Piper laughed, and I tried to smile. But the unease in my chest would not go away.

And I forced myself to eat, even though I was not hungry. I knew I needed my strength for the journey ahead.

I took a sip of water and looked at the road ahead. The unknown stretched out before us, and I felt the weight of it pressing down on me.

Soon, we mounted our horses and rode into the forest as the sun rose higher. The landscape began to change as we traveled.

The familiar faint green of Blackmoor Valley finally faded behind us, replaced by something wilder and more untamed. The ground was harder, and the air smelled different, like dust and dry leaves.

The trees became thinner, and the ground became rockier. The air felt different, heavier somehow.

I could feel it in my lungs, thick and foreign. It was like the land itself was warning us to turn back.

There was no scent of pack territory here, and no familiar markers of claimed land. It was wild and untamed, and it made me uneasy.

My wolf stirred inside me, restless and alert. She could feel it too that something was wrong.

I had felt this kind of unease before, back when I was still in Cresswood and I would wake up in the middle of the night knowing something was watching me from the darkness outside my window, and I would lie there frozen, too scared to move, and too scared to breathe, just waiting for whatever it was to go away, but it never did. And that same feeling was crawling up my spine right now, making my hands tremble and my heart pound against my ribs like it was trying to break free.

Kaelen slowed his horse and looked at me.

His gray eyes were hard, and I could see the tension in his jaw. He was on edge too, even if he was trying to hide it.

"We are crossing into unclaimed territory." He said.

I looked around, and I felt the silence pressing down on me.

"Where are the birds?" I asked.

Kaelen’s jaw tightened. "They know something we do not."

The silence was oppressive, pressing down on us from all sides. It was like the world had gone still, waiting for something to happen.

There were no animals rustling in the underbrush, and it felt like the land itself was holding its breath.

We rode deeper into the territory, and I felt eyes on me. I could not see anyone, but I knew we were being watched, then the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

I felt a chill run down my spine. "There is someone out there," I whispered.

Kaelen’s hand moved to his sword. "I know. I feel it too.”

And I gripped the reins tighter.

Jax noticed too. I glanced at Jax, and his hand was already on his sword.

"You are actually being quiet for once," Silas murmured.

Jax’s voice was low. "I am not in the mood for jokes right now.”

He rode closer to Piper, with his hand resting on his weapon. "Stay close to me," he said quietly.

Piper looked at him. "Is something wrong?"

"Just stay close," he repeated.

Silas reached for his bow, with his eyes scanning the trees. I could see his eyes calculating the distance to the nearest cover. He was always thinking ahead, and always planning.

"See anything yet, Silas?" Kaelen asked.

"Not yet," Silas replied. "But I do not like this silence.” His eyes remained sharp and alert.

Cain was already on guard. He did not say anything, but I could see the tension in his shoulders, and his eyes scanning the shadow. He was ready to move at a moment’s notice.

Cain’s eyes swept around the shadows faster than I could track, and his body was tense.

"See anything, Cain?" I asked.

He shook his head once. "Not yet, Luna. But they are close.”

Piper rode up beside me, and her face was pale, and I could see the fear in her eyes. But she was brave, as always, and she did not let it show.

Her voice was low. "Do you feel that?"

I nodded.

I kept my voice steady, even though my heart was pounding. I did not want to scare her more than she already was. "Someone is watching us."

Piper’s hand stretched out and found mine. "What do we do?"

I squeezed her hand. "We stay together, we stay ready, and whatever or whoever it is, we do not let them see us scared.”

Kaelen stopped his horse and raised his hand.

We came to a stop in the middle of the path, and I could hear the sound of my own breathing, loud in the silence.

The group halted.

"Stay alert." Kaelen said.

His voice was low and steady, but I could hear the warning in it, that he was ready for a fight. "We are not alone."

I scanned the trees. I held my breath, and my eyes were searching the darkness between the branches. And then I saw a flicker of movement, just for a moment.

As I continued to scan the trees, I saw something move.

"There," I whispered. "Between those two trunks."

Kaelen followed my gaze. "I see it.”

Then I saw a shadow move between the trunks. Then I knew for sure that something was out there. And it was something that was following us.

I could feel its eyes on me, cold and unblinking. It was waiting, watching, and biding its time.