Blood And Silver:Rise of the Alpha’s Rejected Mate

Chapter 182 1/6 PIPER The moment I woke , I knew something was wrong .

The pack bond was usually steady , but a comforting hum in the back of my mind was off .

It didnt feel severed , but it was weak like a thread stretched too thin and ready to snap .

I sat up in bed , running my fingers through my hair as I tried to focus on the sensation .

It was Aurora .

Her bond was dim , and distant , as though she wasnt just far away physically but emotionally locked behind some impenetrable wall .

I got dressed quickly , throwing on dark clothes meant for stealth .

My heart pounded as I tried to make sense of the unease clawing at me .

Whatever was happening , I couldnt just sit here and wait .

I came out and I felt drawn to the war room , I found Trajans map still spread across the table , a mess of notes and markers left behind from the last strategy session .

I studied it , searching for anything that might point me toward Aurora .

Think , Piper , 1 muttered to myself .

Where would she The Namelesss lair was the most obvious answer , but it wasnt * ough to just guess I needed something concrete .

Chapter 182 2/6 My fingers brushed over the map , tracing the paths wed marked as dangerous areas where dark creatures had been spotted or where Danes influence lingered .

A cold chill ran down my spine as I noticed a pattern .

The sightings formed a loose perimeter around one area we hadnt explored deeply , an unassuming section of dense forest that seemed to repel even the bravest scouts .

I frowned , leaning closer .

What are you hiding in there ? Beside the map was a stack of old reports , most of them from Evanders missions .

I flipped through them , scanning for any mention of the Nameless or unusual activity .

One entry caught my eye .

Spotted faint tracks leading into the eastern forest .

Too faint to pursue .

The air felt … heavy .

Recommend further investigation .

Evanders words sent a shiver through me .

him

grabbed the journal Aurora had left on the table

weeks , but I wasnt sure

I whispered , flipping

section caught my attention

with phrases like the shadows coil where the moonlight dies and the

182 The riddles werent just poetic ,

felt it in my

forest wasnt just a random

It was significant .

at the

I could be there

wasnt difficult

, wrapped up in whatever

vague note , knowing

it was too late

loomed ahead ,

colder , and the pack bond

hard , forcing my nerves to settle

always

taller here, their branches twisting

ground was thick with moss , muffling my steps and every sound seemed to echo in an unsettling

, keeping to the shadows and listening for anything out

alert , every rustle of leaves or crack of a branch

one point , I paused , crouching low behind

, the ground dipped into a shallow ravine , and in the center was something that didnt belong , a

, my breath catching as I realized what I was looking at

wasnt just random , it was forming shapes ,

from my bag , I

mist were the same as the ones

I whispered ,

closer wouldnt be

mist pulsed faintly , and the air around it

forest itself was watching me , waiting for

tracing them with my finger and mouthing the words

clear now : Step only where the light touches ,

glanced around , spotting faint patches of moonlight filtering through

create a path , narrow and winding but just wide

breath , I stepped onto the first

solid beneath me , but

, carefully placing each

, darkness reaching out

across the ravine , a low growl stopped me in