The Alpha Bond 137

The car ride was mostly quiet, save for the occasional sigh or the rustling of pages as Alex flipped through the book we had retrieved from the library.

Isaiah drove, gripping the wheel with ease, while I sat in the passenger seat. The wind rushed through the slightly cracked window, carrying the scent of damp earth

and pine.

Austin sat in the middle, a permanent scowl on his face. "Remind me again why I have to sit here?"

Alex smirked. "Because you're the youngest."

Austin rolled his eyes. "By minutes."

Elijah, who had been silent for most of the journey, finally spoke. "Stop

complaining." His voice was gruff, but hearing him say anything at all was a relief.

It hadn't even been a full day since he found out his parents didn't make it.

Now, not only was he forced to face the devastation of losing his family, but he was also thrust into the role of Alpha.

I kept sneaking glances at him through the rearview mirror. He looked lost, his mind miles away.

I wanted to say something. Do something. But what could I possibly say? There were no words that could take away that kind of

pain.

So I sat there, watching him silently, hoping that when the time came, he would let me be there for him.

Alex's voice finally broke the silence.

"Who even hides a map behind a book of fairy tales?" He was flipping through the book we had taken from the library, his brows furrowed in frustration.

I shrugged. "I guess it's the last place someone would think to look."

Austin leaned forward, peering over his twin's shoulder. "Maybe the book wasn't just a fairy tale. What if all the stories in here were based on real things?"

Alex snorted. "Yeah, sure. And next, you're gonna tell me the boogeyman is real." Isaiah smirked. “With everything we've seen, would that really be surprising?" That shut Alex up.

I reached over, flipping a few pages back to the section with the map The faded ink made it difficult to read, but the markings were clear enough.

The Whispering Willows were deep in a dense part of the forest, a place that seemed to be completely cut off from everything else.

was eerie

Austin had said back

one goes there. It's... too

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Chapter 131

like

completely silent. Even in the dead of night, there were crickets, rustling leaves, distant animal sounds. But the way that man had said it, like even the birds refused to

ran down

voice pulled

the riddle actually talks about

hesitated before answering.

to be truth behind the stories. If we were going to find it before the Shadow Weaver did, we had to believe that this map led somewhere

"Alright. Let's hope we're not following a children's bedtime story

Arrival at the Town

passed before we

knew everyone. The buildings were old, but well-maintained,

was

place it, but the entire town had this lingering heaviness. Maybe it was the knowledge that

the fact that we

gas station at the edge of

need information. Austin, go do

"And what's

into answering

Isaiah let out a quiet

something under his breath before hopping out of

the mini-mart, I decided to stretch my legs. Sitting

I stepped out, and the scent of pine mixed

usual-snacks, drinks, and random travel supplies. The place smelled of coffee and something fried, and the floor creaked slightly as

way toward the counter where Austin was already talking to

counter was older, his graying beard making him

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Chapter 131

His eyes held suspicion.

blamed him. Packs had been getting attacked, and we were strangers rolling into town,

forest.

wary

social one, leaned against the counter with an easy grin. "So, the Whispering

immediately. "Most of them

ago."

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