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He slows to a stop only once we’re at the treeline.
I take a second to catch my breath, keeping hold of his hand in case he decides to dart off again suddenly. I don’t want to risk losing sight of him.
Especially not here. This is the part of the forest that’s closest to The Abyss.
Even if that dark portal doesn’t open during daylight hours, it worries me to be so close to it with a child who doesn’t fully understand the dangers. Any experience he has of the woods will have been taught to him by the women who run the nursery. He’s too young to have been told much beyond the basics so far.
I only let go of his hand when he crouches, showing he isn’t about to run off.
I start to sign to ask why he brought me here, when he points at the ground.
His gaze moves up to mine, and I look down at where he’s pointing.
Oh, dear Goddess of Wolves.
There’s a footprint in the mud. A large, distinctive mark with sharp indents.
It’s much too big and misshapen to belong to a regular shifter.
This shouldn’t be possible.
Rituals are carried out daily to ensure the creatures that belong to The Abyss never venture beyond the treeline of our shared forest. Every shifter in our pack knows better than to go into the woods after dark, where the monsters are free to hunt until daylight.
Yet, we’re standing here, yards away from the treeline, under the bright, warm sunshine.
The footprint stands out starkly in the damp patch of dirt, and I finally understand why Adam is so worried.
Something came out of the forest last night.
This is the evidence of a trespass, and it turns my blood cold as I look back at the little boy.
The barrier that protects our town no longer exists.
The rituals have stopped working, or the creatures who call The Abyss home have grown stronger.
Either way, our pack is in trouble.
A monster has set foot in Nightshade.
Chapter Three
Lita
ThemysteryofAdam’sstrange behavior has been solved, but the boy doesn’t seem assured when I sign for him that he doesn’t need to worry about it.
“Our Alpha will take care of this threat.”
He shakes his head, and I can tell he’s getting frustrated. He worked hard to pick up the words and phrases he asked Alina to teach him, but he doesn’t know enough ASL to have a full conversation.
It feels like there’s more that he wants to tell me, but he can’t find the right gestures.
I take his hand and lead him away from the footprint, not sure it’s safe to be close to the spot where a monster was standing Goddess only knows how long ago. My thoughts are already starting to spin.
They can’t leave The Abyss in daylight.
That portal closes off before the sun rises.
I know that to be true. I’ve spent countless hours in the forest during the day in my shifted form, and the portal that leads into The Abyss is never present during those runs. There’s an energy there that my enhanced shifter senses pick up on, but that’s all. Most of the pack spend some time in the forest during the day when it’s safe, and there’s never been an incident.
