The night air was crisp and clear as could be this time of year, the moonlight shines down on us from above and the smell of the freshly bloomed flowers mixes with the pines.

"Jewels, is there anything you see?"

She shakes her head, pink eyes glimmering. "We're clear..."

I nod. "Bridge, Orion,"

"Yes, Alpha?" they say coming to my side.

"Go ahead of us and look around, Jewels will be behind you in a few minutes and then Luna and I will be last."

They nod immediately heading towards the town, after a few moments of silence Jewels begins making her way down towards the town just leaving me and Luna. She was currently looking around the area her attention focused on that.

"Is something wrong?" I ask.

"There's an energy here... something sickly and dark. Is that what you had Jewels looking out for?"

I nod. "Do you know what they are?"

"No... I can just sense the negativity cloaking the forest, I am as much apart of nature as it is me." She hugs herself and I see herself shiver. "What ever they are... they are not natural."

As I figured... What we're fighting someone has made with the purpose of watching us... But why?

I look up to Luna one more time whose attention was turned towards the sky, her silver eyes reflecting the light of the moon perfectly. It further reinforced the fact that Amelia wasn't here with me right now, It's almost as if we were searching for her again.

"Luna..."

Her attention turns to me. "Yes, what is it?"

"Is it alright if I ask you this?"

She smiles. "You can ask me anything,"

"I saw something in a book that Amelia was looking at, the night you appeared. I couldn't make sense of it but there were diagrams and a phrase... It showed one figure with a Sun under it and the other the Moon, like the exact designs that are on Amelia. The phrase:  'The sun-"

"The sun is to guard it's charge in the light and the moon to love gently, glowing at night. Both protectors come as one for the one great wolf."  She instantly finishes, her gaze slightly turning into one a little somber.

"So you know it?" I ask unnecessarily. "What does it mean?"

She sighs, slightly laughing. "Something equally good and bad at the same time... but it is not my place to tell or admit... That right belongs to Amelia."

I step closer to her. "But how? I she still even here?"

"I can assure you that she is here, she's just not ready to come back yet..."

"Why? We need her..."

I need her.

"Sometimes the hardest person to admit things to is yourself." She sadly smiles. "Now come we should be going to join the others," With that she begins walking back down towards the hill.

I follow after her in silence.

***

We canvas the town for over an hour but no one had seemed to know anyone or anything Nightshade. Beside me at our table Bridge sighs impatiently his forehead on the table and on the other side of him Jewels was rubbing his back in slow circles.

This makes me smile and wonder if he had finally told her how he felt, for future Alphas sometimes the foresight to see your mate kicked in a little early. In Bridge's case one whole year earlier. Jewels still had about a week left until she was of age and able to see it.

When I look across the table I see Luna smiling gently at both of them, if anyone knew if they were meant to be it was her.

"Don't worry Bridge we're going to find something... It takes patience and time,"

He sighs heavily again. "I know, I'm just anxious because this is the guy who tortured and nearly killed Winston, Ara, and was also the guy who held Köngin captive for all those years keeping her from coming home along with some of the other people who have seemed to be involved with the reason she left in the first place. I just feel if we don't catch them it wont do anyone justice." I hear a soft growl come from him. "They need to pay."  

Jewels on his other side leans down and whispers something into his ear, this causes him to slightly look up and grimace at her, as well as place his hand over her own.

Right then the server at the tavern we'd decided to take our break at came with our food.

"Here you go Alpha, Beta... let me know if you need anything else,"

I smile. "We will, thank you."

The waitress blushes and nods before scurrying away.

"Alright, everyone dig in. After this we'll head back home for the night and hope that Ara and Winston have found something, if not we'll try again tomorrow."

When I start eating I hear someone hesitating to approach me, the same person who'd been looking at us the whole time we'd been here. It was an older woman by the scent but not too old. Just maybe in her late forties, who ever she was she was definitely not from around here.

"You feel that?" asks Orion.

"Yeah, Let her approach us... we'll soon know if she's a threat or not." 

"Right..."

Ten minutes more and then her footsteps begin approaching us again but this time with more confidence and they don't stop until they are directly behind me and then a hand lightly taps me on the shoulder.

"Excuse me..." says a soft yet firm voice, she had a slight accent as well.

I turn around to face her, wiping my mouth lightly. "Yes? How may I help you?"

She pulls down her hood revealing brown hair streaked with grey and sun kissed skin. Definitely not a person who was native to these lands. Her eyes were brown as well but they were kind and wise. "I heard that you were looking for someone named Nightshade, I might be able to help."

Everyone at the table freezes and looks at me and then back at the woman.

"All I can tell you is the Shadow, you want the Shadow. But that's all I can tell you here. I fear that we are not alone it's not safe to talk here. Meet me tomorrow in the town square, come alone and we will talk."

I raise one eyebrow. "And why should I trust you."

She smiles. "You shouldn't but I'm the only lead you've got, besides if what I've heard about this kingdom is true then I've no chance against you."

This makes me smile she has spunk. "Alright... Can I have a name?"

"Marie,"

"Alright Marie, I'll see you tomorrow then." I tell her.

With that she disappears into the crowd like smoke.

"What do you think, Köngin?" asks Bridge.

Luna doesn't respond.

"That's you,"  I tell her.

Her eyes widen slightly, before answering. "Ah, yes... I believe that we can trust her. She has an honest soul."

I nod. "Let's prepare to head back then."

They make noises of agreement.

"Erik!" says Ara's voice urgently.

"What is it, what's wrong?"

The rest of the group has noticed that I have frozen, Orion looks at me with an inquisitive gaze.

"It's Elder Leopard... He's dead..." 

I look at Bridge, Luna, Orion, and Jewels.

Shit.

***

Hello beautiful people! I hope that your morning is going well and a Happy Mothers day to all! Thank you for reading this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it! But there is something that I need to announce, sadly our time with the wolves is coming to a close. It is the final countdown I'm afraid. But anyways until next time, and as always don't forget to comment, vote, and share this story. I really appreciate it! Until the next time! ^_^/

-Flowereader230