---- ahead, follow the stream north, I'll catch up quickly." "It's too dangerous!" I grabbed his arm, a sudden worry gripping me. He looked at me, a flicker of tenderness in his eyes. ''Some risks are worth taking." Before I could respond, he had turned and disappeared into the night. We followed the stream, the night wind biting. Orion was unusually quiet in my arms, as if he knew the gravity of the situation. About an hour later, Kaelen finally caught up, an herb pouch in his hand. "Got them," he said, panting. "But they've also found the tunnel. They're searching this whole area now." "How much further?" I asked. ---- "At least two days' journey," he replied, scanning the surroundings warily. "But first, we need to lose them." "How?" He took a small vial from his pocket. "This is a special mixture to mask scents. It can temporarily hide Orion's." We quickly applied the mixture to Orion and ourselves, then continued on. The night provided cover but also made travel difficult. Late at night, we rested briefly in a hidden cave. Orion finally fell asleep, his small face looking exceptionally peaceful in the firelight. Rhea and Lina also closed their eyes, exhausted, while Kaelen insisted on keeping watch. "you should rest too," I said softly to him. "You look like you haven't slept in days." "I'm fine," he replied distantly, his gaze never ---- leaving the cave entrance. The firelight illuminated the scar on his cheek, a new wound, it must have a story. "That scar... how did you get it?" I couldn't help asking. He was silent for a moment. "Lyra. When I tried to stop her from hunting you." "Did you kill her?" "No," he shook his head. "She's... not the Lyra we knew anymore. Some power protects her; conventional attacks are useless against her." We fell into silence, only the crackling of the fire echoing in the cave. "Why did you come back?" I finally asked the question that had been on my mind. "You could have rebuilt your pack, reclaimed your Alpha status."