For Me,There Is Only You |18+|

48. Sense Of Belonging

I whipped my head toward Ansel, seeking confirmation, but he was deliberately avoiding my gaze. His jaw was set, and his eyes remained fixed on some indistinct point on the table.

"Ansel?" I called, my voice laced with equal parts confusion and demand.

He still didn't look at me, and that silence only made the knot in my stomach tighten.

Karson, either oblivious to the tension or deliberately ignoring it, leaned forward, his hazel eyes flicking to me. "You're friends with his sister, right?" he asked. Then, without missing a beat, he turned to Ansel and added, "See? Even your mate's curious. Aren't you even going to tell her?"

My heart thudded loudly in my chest, but Ansel remained unmoving, his silence screaming louder than any response he could have given.

Nathan sighed, clearly losing patience. "Alright, fine. Since Ansel isn't going to say anything, I will," he said, his tone brisk. "We've received intel about shadow weaver activity near the Nightfell pack about a week ago. Our informant reported seeing swirls of black smoke in the area."

A chill ran down my spine as Nathan continued.

"It means," he added, his voice dipping lower, "Boaz was seen there."

The unease within me turned into outright dread at the mention of that name. My gaze snapped back to Ansel, who remained silent, his expression unreadable.

The weight of his refusal to engage with me felt suffocating.

"Why the Nightfell Pack?" Genesis spoke up. She had been quiet for most of the conversation, but now her sharp grey eyes were locked on Nathan. "Do you think the Nightfell pack has teamed up with the shadow weavers?"

My breath hitched at the mere suggestion, and I shook my head slightly, as if to dispel the thought.

No. That's impossible. Nate would never do something like that.

Nathan shook his head firmly, his expression one of certainty. "The Nightfell pack would never betray their own kind like that," he said. "They're one of the most ancient packs, just like the Starknight tribe. Their loyalty is their foundation."

He paused, his brows furrowing as though piecing together a puzzle. "If anything, it's the opposite. I think the shadow weavers are searching for something there."

"A Nexus?" Noel asked, leaning forward.

Nathan shrugged; his expression thoughtful. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "But the Nightfell pack controls the largest territory after ours, and it's not like we know the exact location of every Nexus. It's possible they've got one hidden within their lands."

The room fell silent as the weight of his words settled over us.

"If it's true, do you think the shadow weavers will attack Nightfell pack the way they did Wispwood?" Kyler broke the quiet, his tone skeptical but tinged with concern.

Nathan exhaled deeply, his gaze flickering between us. "Again, I'm not sure," he said cautiously. "But unlike Wispwood, the Nightfell pack has a large and powerful army. They're more than capable of defending themselves."

"What if more than one S-grade shadow weaver attacks this time? Do you think they'll still be able to hold their ground?" Phoebe, who had been quiet up until now, interjected, her voice carrying a hint of challenge to Nathan's words.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at her. "What I'm saying," he replied after a moment, "is that the Nightfell pack can hold their own for a while. They're not as vulnerable as you seem to think. The Starknight tribe has conducted countless joint training exercises with them over the years. We've been allies for centuries, and there's a pact between our packs. Any attack on them would be an attack on us."