Chapter 270

Aurora’s resolute gaze, blazing into Dane’s, seemed an affirmation that, “Yes, we are.”

This gray glow of the light, hanging low on the horizon, was a beacon with its whispered warnings neither of them wanted to hear.

In his low crouch, Dane’s senses were heightened while Trajan moved silently beside him. Early morning mist clung to the earth, and every sound, every rustle, seemed magnified.

“Here,” Trajan said quietly, nodding toward a series of strange markings that were scratched into the trunk of a nearby tree. “They weren’t here yesterday.”

Dane peered at the lines, furrowing his brow. The markings were weird and erratic, like the scratching of claws, yet too intentional to have happened on purpose.

“What do you think?” Trajan asked slowly.

Dane stood, his jaw tight. “A message. Or a warning.”

Trajan’s eyes flickered with unease. “Whoever left it wanted us to see it. But why here, and why now?”

“Because they know we’re watching,” Dane replied grimly. “Let’s head back. Aurora needs to see this.”

Inside the packhouse, Aurora was already awake and seated between Piper and Warrick at the head of the council table.

The room was tense before Dane had even slapped the rough sketch of the markings onto the table.

“These were left on the eastern border,” he said right off the bat with certainty, lacing his urgent tone. “Whatever this is, he’s not trying to hide anymore.”

Aurora leaned forward, her face serene, but razor sharp eyes that glittered like ice in the light. “Could it be Alina? Or someone working with her?”

“It’s possible,” Trajan inserted, “but as it is, there’s no way to confirm that as yet. It could also be a warning from another faction trying to further destabilize us.”

Piper crossed her arms, furrowing her brow. “Great. More games. How do we respond without sending the pack into a panic?”

The quiet caught Aurora’s attention, who followed Dane’s eyes. “We haven’t announced it yet. We reinforce patrols and keep this quiet for now. The pack doesn’t need more uncertainty.”

Dane nodded. “Agreed, but we need more than patrols. If they’re bold enough to leave this close to the village, then we’re already in danger.”

Aurora sighed, tracing her fingers over the edge of the table. “We need a strategy that will protect us and not give them the reaction they are seeking.”

Piper chimed in, her voice light. “You mean we need to outsmart them. Good thing we got a brilliant Luna and her stubborn Alpha for that.”

Aurora managed a small smile. “Let’s hope that’ll do.”

Later that afternoon, Rowan came up to Dane diffidently, a tattered leather-bound journal clutched in his hands. “I found this,” he whispered, “in Alina’s old quarters. I thought you should see it.”

He took the journal from him and flipped its pages open; it was full of fragmentary entries in Alina’s sharp, angular script. Phrases leaped out at him like red flags, none as specifically worded as “reclaim what’s ours” and “weaken the core.”

“What else is in here?” asked Dane keenly.

“Nothing concrete,” Rowan said with sagging shoulders. “But enough to prove she had been planning something big."

Dane nodded, his mind racing. “You did the right thing bringing this to me. Stay alert, Rowan. If there’s more, I want to know.”

Back in the council room, Piper and Warrick burst in, a rolled-up map clutched in Piper’s hands.

“Look at this,” Piper said, laying the map out across the table. “We found it in one of the storage rooms. It was old, but it showed territories that none of our newest maps showed.”

Aurora leaned over the map. “These territories… so far away from us but important because of their position. Why would it be concealed?”

Warrick shrugged. “No idea, but if somebody else does know about these, then that would explain a lot of what’s been moving recently.”

Aurora nodded slowly, her gaze narrowing. “We need to lock down what is ours before anybody else can. We really can’t afford these areas to be at large.”

Hunched over the map, Dane’s fingers traced forgotten territories.

The old ink was so faint it seemed to whisper promises of safety and strength, yet the risks loomed large in his mind.

He clenched his jaw as thoughts whirled through his head. By his side, Aurora watched the tense concentration on his face.

“What are you thinking?” she asked softly, her hand lightly grazing his arm.

Dane straightened, his eyes locking onto hers. “I think it’s time we stopped waiting on the next move. We need to expand, secure these territories before anyone else can.”

Aurora furrowed her brow, crossing her arms. “Expand? Dane, we don’t even know if these areas are safe, let alone if they’re worth the resources it would take to claim them."

“That’s the point,” he returned, firm. “We cannot afford to leave such vulnerabilities open. What if whoever left those markings knows about these territories? What if they are already planning to use them against us?"

Aurora stepped back, her eyes skeptical. “And what if we’re just spreading ourselves too thin, chasing ghosts instead of focusing on what we have here?”

Piper, who’d been hanging back by the door, spoke up. “I hate to say it, but Dane might have a point. We’ve had too many close calls lately. If there’s even a chance these territories could secure us, shouldn’t we take it?"

Aurora turned an eager gaze to Piper, her lips pursing into a thin line. “And what of the pack while we’re off chasing this? Morale is shaky enough as things are. You heard the murmurs about Rowan’s redemption. You think they’ll just jump and follow on a move of this size?"

Warrick strode into the room, his arms across his chest. “The pack will follow if they see strength, see unity. The problem is, right now, they’re seeing doubt.”

Aurora swung to him, a flicker of irritability in her tone. “You want us to scatter everything upon a hunch?"

He set his hands on the table, his voice low and sure. “It’s not a feeling, Aurora. It’s a strategy. If we don’t take these territories, someone else will. And then we’ll have to deal with more than markings on trees."

Aurora sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “This isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. We need more information: scouts, plans, contingencies. If we do this, we do it right.”

Dane nodded; at least in this one, she was bluntly realistic. “Agreed. But we can’t wait too long. Whoever’s out there, they’re already a step ahead of us. We need to close the gap."

The room fell into a tense silence, the weight of the decision pressing down on everyone. Aurora finally met Dane’s gaze, her voice steady but laced with concern. “You’d better be right about this.”

He stepped closer, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I will be. For all of us.”

Piper exchanged a glance with Warrick, her voice breaking the silence. “So, what’s the first move?”

Dane’s eyes flicked back to the map, his finger tracing the bold line marking their territory’s edge. “We send scouts to the nearest point. Quietly. If there’s any sign of a threat, we’ll know before they do.”

Aurora sighed, her resolve solidifying. “Then let’s get to work.”