Hay Creek

Chapter 31.

The next morning, I woke up alone, blinking away the remnants of sleep and yawning. Wrapping myself in an extra blanket, I shuffled to the shower. After dropping the blanket on the floor, I slipped into a soft robe and grabbed my toothbrush. As I squeezed toothpaste onto the bristles, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. Nothing had changed since last night, but it had certainly been a moment to remember.

Once I finished brushing my teeth, I stepped into the shower. I turned on the hot water and let the steam envelop me, releasing a contented sigh as I smiled at the soothing warmth.

After a few moments, I finished my shower, dried off, and got dressed. I chose a basic white v-neck shirt and paired it with black jeans, then slid on my all-black biker boots. Now it was time for my hair. I returned to the bathroom, towel-drying my hair before letting it air dry; using a hairdryer would only make my curls go wild. They were big enough as it was. I then applied my makeup—nothing heavy, just a natural look, as I always preferred.

Finally, I was ready to head out the door when it swung open.

"You're awake," Kai said, his presence instantly making me blush.

"Sorry I couldn't wake up next to you. An emergency meeting came up," he explained.

"It's okay. There was an emergency?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He nodded gravely. "Unfortunately, yes."

"What happened?"

"The hunters were near our area last night, which means they're close. Isaac and Andrew followed them until they lost sight of them. The worst part? They were carrying silverbane."

A wave of worry washed over me. "What is silverbane?"

"A weapon made of poisoned silver. It's deadly to werewolves," he said slowly.

"They could have been killed last night!" I gasped, shocked.

"I don't think they'd attack outright like that, but if they did, then yes," he replied, his expression serious.

I let out a deep sigh. This was just the beginning of the danger.

"Today, we'll be starting with the running hunt. Neither Alpha Kai nor I expected this last night," Roman announced. Kai nodded in agreement.

"Given what we've discovered, we're forced to take action. We won't let anyone die," Roman stated firmly. Kai stood up, his resolve clear. "Exactly. For us, winning means everyone stays alive and gets to go home."

"Yes. We'll be hunting in two groups. You have the list of the teams," Roman said, turning to Kai. He nodded, grabbing the paper in front of him. "One group will ride with Alpha Roman, and the other will ride with me. Roman's group consists of: Luna Mila, third-in-command Andrew, Beta Jason, Skyler, Gemma, Felix, Oliver, Adeline, Greyson (second-in-command of Lupus Moon), Graham, Arabella, and Stella. My group includes: Luna Avery..."

As he spoke, I felt everyone's eyes on me, the implications obvious. "...third-in-command Archer, Beta Quinn, Isaac, Ezra, Lachlan, Gavin, Marley, Theodore (second-in-command of Darkmoon), Jasper, Chloe, and Mia. Shadow Hunters Reed and Ravi will also join us—Reed with Roman's group and Ravi with mine. Axel and Phoebe will remain at the Lupus Moon home base, while Thomas and Clara will oversee The Darkmoon pack's base. Prepare yourselves; we're leaving in an hour." Kai concluded.

Everyone began to rise and file out of the living room. Of course, Marley, Stella, Arabella, and Quinn wouldn't leave me alone; what they had just heard was a total surprise to them. Thankfully, I wasn't the only one feeling overwhelmed. Looking over at Kai, I saw the guys were just as eager to talk to him as the girls were with me.