Chapter 77: The Silent Threat
Melissa’s POV
As I emerged from the packhouse, the anxiety in the morning air was palpable. The typical forest sounds—the distant howling, the rustling leaves—were muffled, almost unreal. There was a problem.
"Elissa!" A panting warrior sprinted in my direction. "There's another one missing."
My heart tightened. "Who?"
"Leah. She never checked in last night, even though she was meant to be on patrol close to the southern border.
I looked at Kane, who was standing next to me with a sombre expression. He whispered, "That's the fourth in two days." "This isn't typical."
I tried to stifle the rising uneasiness in my chest as I nodded. Shifters didn't simply vanish. Not in this manner. "We must locate them."
After I summoned the scouts, a few of us were spr
