Chapter 109

The forest had become our home and our prison. Days turned into nights without relief. The rogue king’s forces were everywhere, and we were forced to move like ghosts, never lingering in one place for long. Gilly’s condition had improved, but she still wasn’t strong enough to travel far, and Rachel rarely left her side. That left Zone and me to scout ahead, searching for any sign of Ardan or the rogue king’s plans. The frustration was beginning to pile up, and my wolf, Sally, understood my restlessness. “We’re wasting time,” she growled in my mind as we crept through an underbrush. “He’s out there, and we’re stuck chasing the wrong thing.” “You think I don’t know that?” I shot back. “I just don’t know how to prove it.” I continued. He was alive—I was sure of it—but every moment we spent running felt like another moment he slipped further from my reach. Zone crouched beside me with his sharp eyes scanning the road ahead. “Trail’s fresh,” he murmured, pointing to a set of boot prints in