Page 140 of Stargazer

I glanced towards the manor—now barely a shadow in the distance, looking more intimidating and looming than ever.

Messages had come in from the other Knights: nothing on their end either. Not to mention, no sightings on any of the thermal cameras set up around the property.

When another hour passed, and then another, that trepidation grew. And even Griffin seemed uneasy.

The time to strike—when the wolves would have had their greatest power—was well and truly gone.

Eyes that were now wholly silver observed the trees beyond where we stood.

“Something isn’t right,” he said at last. The quiet words felt incredibly haunting.

My gut sank.

But still no one showed up. Not a soul.

We waited and waited, watching that darkness pass back over the face of the full moon. Waited all night until the sun peaked over the horizon and the moon said goodbye.

When there was still no sign of a wolf, not even a whisper, Griffin ordered that I head back inside with the others.

I hated to leave him, but the hardened look on his face told me not to fight him on it. So I pressed my lips to his, hard and possessive, making sure a little groan left his mouth. And then I strolled back, linking up with Carter and Kitana.

Bleu, Winter and Sienna were waiting near the entrance for us.

We walked up those stone steps, taking one final look towards the empty expanse of land before us, utterly confused, conflicted and on edge.

It was quiet.

Too. Eerily. Quiet.

CHAPTER 48

GRIFFIN

There was not a single fucking rogue. Not one trace of a wolf nearby. What the fuck was going on?

With every step, every quiet corner of the land that I found, my blood boiled hotter.

It was just me, Louis and a few of the other Carrington Knights left outside—each doing one last inspection. I’d sent the others back. There was no need for them all to be out now that the eclipse had passed the sun had begun to rise.

Now that there were no wolves.

One thought kept plaguing me as I walked the perimeter again and again, following the line of the woods, scanning and waiting and watching.

I was a fucking stupid captain if I had let this happen. If I hadn’t considered the possibility of this before I bothered to bring my team here.

Did Amelia set us up?

EPILOGUE

RIVER

“River.”

The younger Stone sister breathed my name in a plea as she stumbled through the front door of the pack house. Her car was still on and running in the driveway—the driver’s seat door flung open like she couldn’t even stop long enough to turn the car off before she came crashing through the house.

The beams of her headlights pierced through the dark night, veiled by the eclipse.

I knew she was on her way. The Maddox brothers had warned me she was coming, seeing her car whipping down the bending road at ungodly and unsafe speeds. But I didn’t expect to see her in this state.

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