Chapter 370 Ava: Moose

Marcus pokes his head through the tent flap. "Taking the sled to pick up the firewood." His breath clouds in the cold air. "Greg's got a good pile going, but it's too far to carry."

"Be careful out there." The words slip out before I can stop them. He's more than capable of handling himself, but after everything we've seen lately, caution feels necessary.

He nods once before disappearing into the growing darkness. The runners of the sled scrape against packed snow as he moves away from camp.

The percolator starts to bubble, filling the tent with the rich aroma of coffee. My stomach growls. Trail mix and jerky only go so far.

Through my bond with Selene, I feel her satisfaction. Whatever she's tracking, she's getting closer. Her excitement bleeds into my own awareness, making it hard to focus on the mundane task of stirring the stew.

"The others seem to have found something good," Vanessa says, noticing my distraction. "Selene, too?"

"She's on a trail." I add another piece of wood to the stove. "Fresh tracks in the snow. Are they hunting together?"

"No. She must have found something else."

The tent grows warmer as the stove works its magic. Between the heat and the smells of coffee and stew, it's a lot cozier than I thought this experience would be.

Another howl splits the night, closer this time. Victory rings in that sound—they've cornered their prey.

"Sounds like we might have fresh meat after all," Vanessa says, already pulling out extra cooking supplies.

The percolator bubbles faster now, coffee nearly ready. I breathe in the steam, letting it chase away the lingering chill in my bones.

"What did they catch?"

"Moose."

over my shock that we even have moose around here. Aside from hearing a few comments about how strange it is that they're around so early in the year, I've learned

They got

wood. The scent of fresh-cut pine fills the

Greg arranges the pieces with practiced

Vanessa stirs the stew.

nods and heads

long before

pokes his head back in. "Shouldn't take long with this

window. "What are we going to do with an entire

curls up from the

everyone? They've already broken trail all day, and now they have to haul all

in the morning to collect most of it. We'll just take what we

face. "Oh." Yeah, that makes

moose around?" She hands

"I've never been on a winter camping trip before. For all I knew, that's how you usually

his bowl, but doesn't comment. Good

her sleeping bag with her own portion. After a second, she snorts with laughter. "Though I'd love to see Marcus' face if we told him

stoic expression cracking makes me laugh,

to say

diplomatic about it. Unlike some people I

"You mean Grimoire?"

in my head. I am the pinnacle

response, and Vanessa nearly chokes on

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