Chapter 290
Chapter 290
Gideon’s POV
We left just as the first rays of sunlight began to crack over the horizon.
I had barely slept, but I didn’t feel tired at all. In wolf form, my body was stronger, faster. Senses focused on one thing: finding Avery. Sleep could wait.
The journey to Matthew’s Gulch was long and arduous. We crossed Dead Man’s Gully early that morning, but it was still over ten miles to reach Matthew’s Gulch. With no roads leading through the area, we had no choice but to move on foot, shifted, racing across miles of untamed forest.
The closer we came to the gulch, the more rugged the forest grew. Rogue territory was always wild, but it was clear that the Rogue King-or Asher, as Deirdre called him-had chosen his location strategically.
He wanted to ensure that no sane wolves would dare venture close. He made sure that his camp was placed at the epicenter of multiple difficult-to-traverse landmarks. Mostly water runoffs caused by the glacial mountain that constantly loomed overhead, its peak occasionally visible through the dense canopy of trees.
Multiple creeks, streams, and waterfalls stood between us and our destination. We passed through mountain trails, leapt over ravines that were just barely narrow enough to reach the other side without having to venture down.
It surprised me that Avery was taken this way. How had she made the journey? She had to have been frightened and forced into it, unless she was knocked unconscious. Was she drugged? Blindfolded? Or was something else pushing her to comply with her captors’ demands?
Either way, the thought of her being threatened in any way made my wolf furious. I had to find her. And I would make those bastards pay p>
Finally, around midday, we reached Matthew’s Gulch. It was a deep ravine carved into the earth, the bottom filled with jagged rocks and fallen trees, We skirted around the edge, keeping low, until we reached the other side,
Our men had to stop to rest by that point. We’d been moving nonstop for hours, often at breakneck speeds. We took a break on the other side of the gulch, stopping just long enough to relieve ourselves, rest, and eat something.
I took a piece of jerky from my pack and bit into it, chewing slowly as I paced the perimeter of our temporary camp. The forest was quiet.
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Chapter 290
Too quiet.
+25 Bonus
I paused, sniffing the air. I smelled no predators. Maybe the critters were just hiding because of the group of thirty wolves racing through the underbrush.
Or maybe…
I stepped forward, borrowing my wolf’s power. My senses sharpened.
That was when I caught the first whiff of smoke.
She
My wolf’s ears pricked forward. I slowed, lifting my nose to the wind. There. Campfire smoke. Cooking meat. Body odor.
The rogue camp had to be close.
Signalling the warriors, I shifted back, crouching behind a boulder. My men followed suit. We crawled closer to the edge of a dropoff, keeping low amongst the
underbrush for cover.
Finally, it came into view.
The camp was massive. There were hundreds of tents spread out in a chaotic mess, with dirt paths cutting between them. Rogues were milling about, some in human form, others shifted. Guards stood sentry at the gates, of which I counted three. East, west, and south. No northern gate, because that side of the camp was pressed up against a large rock face, eliminating the need for a wall in that section.
I scanned the perimeter. The guards were pacing back and forth along the fence, but there were too many of them for all of us to sneak by unnoticed.
But if we timed it right, we could slip in during the shift change. Maybe take down some guards quietly and efficiently, then steal their uniforms.
It was the only way. There weren’t enough of us to take on the whole camp at once. As much as I wanted to decimate the place and burn it to the ground, I knew that stealth was really our only option here,
As I continued to scan the camp, I spotted an area filled with what looked like iron cages in rows. Kennels. I saw people milling around there, many of them wearing chains around their ankles.
Slaves p>
My stomach sank. I hoped Avery wasn’t in one of those cages, or wearing chains. The very thought made me want to kill Asher even more.
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Chapter 290
+25 Bonus
Suddenly, I spotted a group of rogues leaving the camp. They were heading into the forest, some in wolf form, others carrying bows. An idea struck me.
I mindlinked my thoughts to my Beta. Tegan nodded. He gestured to a few of the others, and they disappeared into the underbrush. I waited, counting the seconds, until I heard the muffled sounds of a struggle. Then, silence.
Tegan returned a moment later, holding a bundle of clothes. Blood splattered the fabric, but it would have to do. Shifting, I pulled on a pair of pants and a torn shirt, then smeared some dirt across my face to obscure my features.
“There’s only enough for five of us,” Tegan said.
I nodded, handing the clothes out to five of our best warriors. I made sure to pick the ones who were best known for stealth and efficiency. The rest, I commanded to spread out and lay in wait for a signal.
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