Shifters - The King of Wolves - Book 1

CHAPTER 21 - WEB OF DOUBT

Rolf's piercing gaze locked onto mine as we stood in the darkness. I could barely see his face, but from the little I could discern, I noticed that he held a tension I had never seen on him before.

His hand was still pressed over my mouth as he gestured to me that I should remain silent.

I nodded in understanding and he withdrew his hand.

We stood pressed against the door of the dark room as I tried to hear the muffled voices of Lord Thorbrand and the stranger outside. Even though we remained out of sight, the tension in the air was palpable and I struggled to steady my breathing as every sound seemed magnified in the eerie silence.

When Rolf finally relaxed his tense posture, I knew the men had left.

"Are you alright?" Rolf's concerned voice broke the tense silence, his eyes searching mine for reassurance.

I met his gaze, forcing a faint smile. "I'm fine," I replied softly, though the turmoil of questions racing in my mind betrayed my calm demeanour.

"Who was that?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.

"That was Lord Blackbridge," Rolf replied grimly, his expression darkening at the mention of the name. "I don't know the other man."

My heart skipped a beat at the revelation, and a whirlwind of thoughts raced through my mind. Why would Runelda's father be meeting with Lord Thorbrand in a dark alley? And what role did Mikołaj play in all of this?

"I do. I need to talk to Egon," I stated urgently, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me.

"He is waiting at the edge of the forest," Rolf informed me as he removed his cape and gently draped it over my shoulders.

I was puzzled by his actions. "But I'm not cold," I protested, confused by his gesture.

"It's to mask your scent," Rolf explained as he ushered me outside, pulling the hood over my head.

Following Rolf in silence, we made our way out of the city, heading towards the forest. The path was dimly lit by the faint glow of some torches along the way, and I focused intently on my feet to avoid stumbling over the uneven terrain.

When Rolf realized that my limited visibility was making it difficult to navigate, he swiftly seized a torch from its holder and directed its beam ahead of us, illuminating our path.

As we entered the forest, I felt a strange sensation wash over me, as if my body recognized Egon's presence before my eyes could confirm it. Turning towards the spot where I knew he stood, I found him and in an instant, our eyes met, locking in a silent exchange.

A weight seemed to lift from my shoulders as I met his gaze, and for a moment, everything felt right in the world.

But Egon's soft expression swiftly turned sour as his eyes swept across my face.

"What's wrong with you?" He demanded with a scowl. His angry gaze shifted to Rolf who stood behind me.

Glancing behind me, I noticed that Leif had silently joined Rolf. I greeted him with a brief smile, and he bowed his head to me in return.

Returning my attention to Egon, I found his intense gaze still fixed on me. "What do you mean?" I asked, puzzled.

Egon's frustration was evident as he gestured towards me. "Have you looked at yourself? You look exhausted!"

I waved off his concern, dismissing it with a shrug. "Just a bad night's sleep," I replied casually, thinking he was exaggerating.

Egon's frustration boiled over as he drew his sword and thrust it towards me, the gleaming blade catching the faint light of the torch. "Look for yourself," he insisted.