Chapter 9 Shadows at the Door

The packhouse was alive with murmured conversations. Warriors gathered in clusters, their voices hushed but urgent. The encounter in the forest had shaken them-Azriel could see it in their eyes. Fear. Uncertainty.

He strode through the grand hall, his steps measured, his expression unreadable. Lucan and Valesia flanked him, their silence just as heavy. When they entered the war room, the door shut with a low thud behind them.

The room was dimly lit, the glow from the overhead chandelier casting long shadows across the stone walls. A large wooden table stood at the center, marked with a map of their territory.

Azriel pulled out a chair and sat, leaning forward with his elbows on the table. "We need to talk about what happened."

Lucan scoffed, arms crossed. "You mean how a nightmare walked into our territory and nearly tore through us?"

Azriel ignored the edge in his voice. "It wasn't just a random attack. That thing-it spoke to me."

Silence.

Valesia's eyes darkened. "What did it say?"

Azriel hesitated, the memory still raw. "You were born of darkness, and you will serve it." The words made his blood run cold, but he forced them out.

Lucan's fists clenched. "The hell does that mean?"

"It means this is personal," Azriel said grimly. "And I don't think this is the last time we'll see it."

Valesia exhaled, looking away as if deep in thought. "If it's tied to you, then we need to find out why. We can't afford to be in the dark."

Azriel nodded. "That's why I want patrols doubled. No one leaves the pack alone, and we keep the borders sealed tight."

Lucan gave a sharp nod. "Agreed. But if we're dealing with something beyond our understanding, brute force won't be enough. We need information."

Azriel's gaze flicked to Valesia. "You suspected something like this would happen. Do you know where we should start looking?"

She hesitated, then nodded. "There's an elder-someone who might have answers. But he's not exactly... friendly."

Azriel's lips pressed into a thin line. "Where is he?"

Valesia hesitated. "Beyond the Shadow Vale."

Lucan swore under his breath. The Shadow Vale wasn't just dangerous-it was forbidden territory, the land where the veil between realms was said to be thinnest. Wolves who ventured there didn't always return.

Azriel's decision was already made. "Then that's where we go."

Valesia met his gaze. "Are you sure? If the stories are true, we won't just be facing creatures like the one we saw tonight. There could be worse."

Azriel's expression hardened. "I don't care. Whatever this is, it's not stopping. If I have a chance to end it before it destroys everything, I'll take it."

Lucan let out a breath. "Then we leave at dawn."

The room fell into silence, the weight of the decision settling over them.

Somewhere in the distance, the wind howled through the trees, a whisper of things unseen.

And Azriel had the unsettling feeling that whatever lay beyond the Shadow Vale was already waiting for him.