Always And Forever | ENG ✓

Chapter Thirty-Four: Preparing for the Unknown

The pack moved with urgency. The discovery of the new threat-this strange, powerful entity-had shaken us all, but it also solidified our resolve. We had faced impossible odds before, but we had never fought something like this. The creature that had been spotted, tall and gaunt with shimmering skin, controlling the creatures like an army, was unlike anything we'd encountered. And we didn't have the luxury of time to wonder what it was. We had to act.

I stood at the head of the war table in the strategy room, the map spread out before me, my fingers tracing the paths that our scouts had mapped. The energy in the room was tense, but there was a shared determination in the air. Every wolf knew what was at stake.

Dean was at my side, his brow furrowed as he studied the map. "We don't know exactly where it's coming from, just that it's building strength. It's coordinating the creatures-working them into something more than a mindless army."

Ace stepped forward, his voice calm but filled with urgency. "We need to disrupt its control. If we can sever its connection to the creatures, we stand a chance. But we can't approach it like we did before. This is a different kind of enemy."

I nodded, my mind racing. We needed more information, but we couldn't risk another surprise attack. "We'll need to scout deeper, get closer to the source of this power. But we can't send just anyone. The pack isn't ready for a full-scale fight like that-not yet."

"Then we strike first," Dean said, his tone hardening. "We take the fight to them. Hit them where it hurts."

The decision was made quickly. We would send out smaller, more stealthy groups to gather intelligence, getting as close as possible to the entity and its forces without being detected. Once we knew enough, we would strike.

The first scouting group returned after two long days, and their faces told the story before they even spoke. They had seen the power of the entity up close, and it was as bad as we feared.

"The creature is gathering more strength," one of the scouts reported, his voice heavy with the weight of what he'd witnessed. "The energy around it... it's like a dark cloud. We couldn't get too close, but the power it's harnessing is... unnerving."

Ace's face hardened. "What kind of power?"

The scout hesitated, his eyes flickering to the other wolves gathered around the table. "It's like nothing I've ever felt. The creatures were moving as if they were being pulled toward it, controlled completely. And there was an aura to the air-dark, heavy. Like we were walking through a storm. It's not just an army. It's something more."

"Can we get in closer?" I asked, my voice tight with the knowledge that we were running out of time.

The scout shook his head. "Every time we got close, the energy pushed back. It's like a wall around it. We can't get close without being noticed."

"Then we need to find a way to disrupt that connection," Ace said, his voice firm. "We can't wait for them to build an army strong enough to overrun us."

I stood, turning to face the map again, my mind racing. "We'll send a team to locate the source of the power. We can't risk going in blind, but we also can't afford to sit around and wait."

"We'll need the best," Dean said, his voice steady. "A small, tight group. Stealth is our advantage."

"Agreed," I said, my gaze moving across the room. "Ace, Dean, you'll lead the teams. We'll gather information first, then we'll act."

The pack was ready, even though they weren't yet fully healed from the last battle. The emotional scars were still fresh, and there was an undercurrent of fear in the air. But the pack wasn't weak. They had survived the darkest of nights, and now, they would face a new enemy together.

The reconnaissance teams were sent out over the next few days, each group carefully selected for their stealth and ability to gather information without being detected. The air around the pack house was thick with anticipation and anxiety as we waited for their return.

Every night, I found myself walking the perimeter, checking in on the sentries, trying to push away the feeling of being watched. The creatures had always been a distant threat, but now, it felt as if the forest itself was closing in, the shadows stretching farther than they had before.

Dean stayed close by my side, his sharp eyes scanning the trees. "We're getting closer," he said quietly, his voice filled with something darker. "But I don't think we're ready for what we're about to find."

"None of us are," I replied, my gaze fixed on the distance. "But we'll face it anyway."

Three days later, the teams returned with more troubling news. They had gotten closer, closer than we had dared, but they hadn't been able to penetrate the dark barrier surrounding the entity. The energy was too strong. But one scout-an older wolf with more experience-had managed to catch a glimpse of the entity itself.

"It's like nothing we've ever seen," he reported, his voice grim. "Tall, almost skeletal. The skin shimmered in the light-like it was made of something... ancient. And its eyes-there was nothing human in them. Just power. Pure power."

The image of it sent a chill down my spine. This wasn't just a monster. It was something born from a different world, something we had no context for.

"We're not just facing creatures," I said, my voice cutting through the tension. "We're facing something... old. Something that's been here longer than we can understand. And it's gaining strength every day."

Dean stepped forward, his jaw tight. "So what now?"

"We regroup," I said firmly. "We gather every wolf we can, get them ready. We can't go in blind. But we can't wait for it to become too powerful, either."

The atmosphere in the pack house had shifted. The quiet dread that had been hanging over us was now palpable-a storm on the horizon, growing stronger with each passing day.

"We strike soon," I said, my voice hard with resolve. "We face this thing head-on. We take away its power. And we stop it-before it stops us."