The turnoff sat half hidden behind overgrown brush, marked by a rusted gate that leaned crooked on its hinges, exactly like Mason’s source said. So far, so good.
I drove around the gate where the fence had been pushed aside. Gravel crunched under the tires as we rolled forward, and the forest closed in almost immediately. Tall trees pressed close to the narrow road, their branches knitting together overhead so the sunlight barely reached the ground. The air felt cooler here, heavier somehow.
I checked the rearview mirror. Gino’s truck followed about twenty yards behind us. Just our two vehicles. No others. The place felt abandoned. I slowed slightly, scanning the trees on both sides of the road.
Mason shifted beside me.
“You think we’re close?” Mason asked.
“Maybe.”
Another thought had started forming in the back of my mind, and it was one I didn’t like. Mason could be leading us straight into a trap.
The realization slid through me like a shard of ice. I kept my face neutral as the truck rolled forward. My phone sat in the center console.
It would be easy enough to grab it and send a quick message to Gino. Something simple. Stay alert, or possible setup. My thumb brushed the edge of the console, but then I stopped.
The truth was, I didn’t want to believe that. Every instinct in me still wanted to trust Mason.
I really wanted to believe he wasn’t capable of something like that, even after Nico’s call or hearing the strange guilt in his voice just now.
Beside me, Mason stared out the windshield, jaw tight as he watched the road ahead. He looked nervous, but not calculating. Not like someone guiding enemies into an ambush.
He was just scared, I told myself. Maybe I was overthinking this.
The road curved gently to the left as the forest thickened around us. And somewhere deep in my chest, my wolf stirred uneasily.
* * *
The silence settled over the clearing the moment the engines cut off. It wasn’t the peaceful quiet of the forest I knew. This one felt tense, stretched tight like a wire ready to snap.
I stepped out of the truck and scanned the area automatically. The old service road ended in a patch of cracked dirt and weeds that had swallowed what used to be a small farmstead.
A sagging fence leaned toward the trees like it had simply given up over the years. Beyond it sat a weather-beaten farmhouse and a couple of collapsing sheds.
Gino’s truck rolled to a stop behind us. The other trackers climbed out. Mason opened his door too.
“Stay in the truck,” I said immediately.
He froze halfway out. “What?”
“We don’t know what we’re walking into yet.” I kept my voice calm but firm. “Let us check it out first.”
His brows drew together.
“I can help,” he said.
“You can help by staying safe.”
That stubborn look settled on his face again. I was starting to recognize it.
“I can’t just sit here, Levi,” Mason said quietly. “If someone’s out there, another pair of eyes could make the difference.”
Behind me, I felt Gino watching the exchange with interest. The other trackers pretended not to listen. I rubbed the back of my neck, frustration stirring.
“You don’t know what you’re walking into,” I said.
“And you do?” Mason shot back.
