Greykin Valley

| 46 | Bloody Glade

"I don't know," they mumbled, shut down.

"You mean like how some vampires have their own unique abilities?" Brando asked Julian.

They nodded. "Yeah...like Jackson can make fire, it'd be cool if one of us could create ice or paralyze people like that infected fae did."

"Wolf walkers have always had abilities unique to their bloodlines and rankings within a pack; what you're talking about sounds almost like the very thing that started all this shit in the first place," Wesley muttered.

"Experimentation," Ezhno said hauntedly.

"You ever hear about the Howler?" Brando asked, looking around at everyone as they moved through the forest.

"The what?" Julian questioned.

Jackson frowned curiously, glancing back at Brando every few moments so he didn't walk into a tree or trip on anything.

"The Howler," Brando repeated. "It was maybe...two years ago, stories of this wolf walker with a literally deafening howl started spreading around the forest. Cleo and Maab told a few of us about it once."

Everyone looked clueless.

"Lalo, you were literally sitting right next to her," Brando complained.

Lalo shrugged and mumbled, "Sorry, I probably wasn't paying attention."

"What's the Howler?" Julian asked impatiently.

"An all-white Luna who wanders the forest every full moon," Brando answered. "The stories said her howl can deafen her enemies."

"That doesn't really sound like some wolf walker superpower," Lance muttered. "Just sounds like someone with a loud howl."

"How many wolves do you know who can make someone death from howling, huh?" Brando challenged, glaring at Lance.

Lance scoffed and went to snap back, but Bly growled disapprovingly, and he held his tongue.

"So, is it just a story?" Jackson asked.

"I don't know," Brando said with a sigh. "Could be. But after everything we've seen showing up around here, wolf walkers with powers wouldn't surprise me."

"Enough," Damon then called. "I see a glade up ahead. We'll be taking formation G. Jackson, you're with me. Dustu, take Remus and hide in the brush. We'll take our positions and wait for Sebastien."

The pack all simultaneously called, "Yes, Alpha."

As Dustu and Remus broke off, Damon picked up the pace towards the glade. When they emerged from the trees, everyone moved away in pairs to different areas of the open space. Jackson stuck with Damon, and when the Alpha stopped in the tree line on the other side of the glade, Jackson watched him burrow himself into the snow. So, he did the same, keeping only his head above the surface.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Damon asked quietly.

Jackson looked over at him. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He nodded and looked out at the glade.

Although he didn't want to let silence consume them, Jackson didn't know what more to say. Should he ask about Sebastien? Should he ask Damon if he was okay?

Where was Wilson?

Jackson frowned and looked around, but he couldn't see the muto—he couldn't see anyone, for a matter of fact. But that was because they'd all taken their positions. Had Wilson taken cover somewhere?

"Did you hear the story of Filtiarn?" Damon asked.

As he looked at the Alpha again, he frowned curiously. "No."