Tiza took off,Back to the camp,Back to the prisoners,Back to the newborn.
Now he knew what he needed to do.Now he had a purpose.
And he was ready to fulfill it.
The moment he left Lara and their child within the safety of the cave, the Shadow Wolf burst forward with terrifying speed. His powerful legs drove him across the landscape faster than ever before. Faster than he had run during the battle. Faster than he had fled with his family.
As the Shadow Wolf, he was stronger.
Faster.
Deadlier.
And now, for the first time in a long while, his senses and memories were working together.
Yet his mind refused to rest.
Countless thoughts stormed through his head as he ran.
What if Jeremiah was still alive?
What if he had reached the prisoners?
What if the villagers had suffered because of him?
What if he was already too late?
The possibilities haunted him.
Most of them terrible.
Each one worse than the last.
The further he ran, the heavier his heart became.
He knew what Jeremiah was capable of.
He knew the cruelty that lived within the man.
And that knowledge only pushed him faster.
Unaware of the wolf attack.Unaware of Campbell's arrival.Unaware of the battle that had unfolded after his departure.Unaware of the deaths of the midwives.
Unaware of everything that had happened in his absence.
Tiza sprinted toward the camp, prepared to face whatever awaited him.
No matter the cost.No matter the danger.
Eventually, the familiar scent of the camp reached his nose.
His pace quickened.
The trees blurred around him.
Moments later, he emerged from the forest.
And froze.
Shock seized him instantly.
The sight before him was unlike anything he had ever witnessed.
The camp had become a battlefield.
Not the aftermath of a single fight.
But the remains of a war between armies.
The ground was soaked in blood.
Tents had been torn apart.
Wooden structures lay shattered.
Weapons and debris were scattered everywhere.
The earth itself seemed stained red.
For several moments, Tiza simply stood there.
Silent.
Motionless.
Trying to understand what he was seeing.
There were no voices.
No cries.No movement.No prisoners.No soldiers.Not even corpses.
Only destruction.Only blood.Only silence.
The scene left him completely stunned.
"What happened here?" he muttered.
The question vanished into the empty air.
Slowly, his instincts returned.
His breathing steadied.His senses sharpened.
The Shadow Wolf lowered himself toward the ground.
He closed his eyes briefly.Then inhaled.
Deeply. The scents were everywhere.Blood.Smoke.Fear.Death. But beneath it all, he found what he was searching for.
Human tracks.Hundreds of them.Some fresh.Some old.
All leading away from the camp.
His glowing eyes opened.
Immediately, he turned toward the direction the trail led.
The answer was out there.
The prisoners.The villagers.The child.Jeremiah.Someone knew what had happened.Someone was responsible.And tiza intended to find them.A low growl escaped his throat.If Jeremiah still lived, then this would be their final encounter.No more running.No more hiding.No more unfinished battles.
The Shadow Wolf took one final look at the ruined camp.
Then he launched himself forward.
Following the trail.Following the scent.Beginning a new hunt.
And this time, he would not stop until he found the truth and his people.