Chapter 494: Midnight Whispers
The forest behind the pack was silent. Snow drifted softly in the moonlight, untouched, blanketing the earth in a quiet white haze. By the time Orion and Brynhild returned to the pack, it was well past midnight. The torches along the compound walls flickered faintly, shadows crawling along the buildings. Inside, the pack slept. The entire settlement was still, save for the occasional creak of settling timber or the soft rustle of wind through the trees.
Orion moved with quiet purpose, his boots making no sound on the frosted ground. Brynhild followed, her hands still brushing over the hilt of her sword. They moved through the compound; Brynhild went to her home while Orion went to his.
Inside, the air was warm; there was wood burning in the hearth. The smell of pine from the forest clung faintly to his cloak, a reminder of the hunt, of the Trihydra, of the consequences Holly had faced. He could not risk Sophia being uncomfortable.
