Chapter 87: First Contact
Brock POV
My wolf form hit the ground running before I even finished changing. Something was wrong in the northern woods - every sense I had was screaming danger.
The patrol should have been normal. Check the borders, mark the area, report back. Simple. But as I ran through the trees, the forest felt dead around me. No birds singing, no small animals moving, nothing. Even the wind had stopped.
That’s when I saw Jake.
He was standing absolutely still next to a massive oak tree, his back to me. My packmate hadn’t moved a muscle in the five minutes I’d been watching him.
"Jake!" I called out, shifting back to human form. "You okay, man?"
He didn’t answer. Didn’t even turn around.
I jogged over, my heart starting to pound. "Jake, we need to finish the watch and get back. Aiden’s worried about those tear things."
When I reached him, I put my hand on his shoulder. He was ice cold.
Jake slowly turned around, and I stumbled backward in shock. His eyes were totally black - not just the pupils, but everything. Like someone had filled them with empty space.
"Brock," he said in a voice that sounded like an echo in a deep cave. "I’ve been waiting for you."