Chapter 145

“Do you smell that?” Ash asked, his voice a low murmur as he sniffed the air, his gaze narrowing.

I took a deep breath, catching the faintest trace of something unfamiliar—an earthy, musky scent that didn’t belong in our territory. It was subtle, almost as if someone or something had deliberately tried to mask their presence, but it was there, lingering on the wind.

“Yeah,” I replied, my voice tense.

“It’s faint, but it’s there. Keep your guard up.”

We moved cautiously, following the scent as it wove through the trees, leading us deeper into the forest. The tracks were barely visible, just a few scattered paw prints in the snow, but they were enough to guide us forward, enough to confirm that we weren’t alone.

Suddenly, the scent vanished, as if it had been erased from the air, leaving us standing in the quiet, empty forest. Ash and Reed exchanged uneasy glances, their breaths visible in the cold night air.

“Do you think they knew we were following them?” Reed asked, his voice barely above a whisper.