The Lycan King’s Mark (Nevara) by Tiffanie L. Campbell novel Chapter 152

Chapter 152 – Signals in the Trees

Nevara

The drive north felt longer than it should have.

Not because of distance.

Because of what we didn’t know.

The SUVs moved in a tight formation along the highway at first, engines steady, tires humming against the

pavement as the city slowly fell away behind us. Buildings gave way to open stretches of land, then to

thicker tree lines, then to long winding roads that cut deeper and deeper into territory that felt… quieter.

Too quiet.

I sat in the back seat of the lead SUV, my gaze drifting between the window and the tablet mounted to the

console in front of me. The map glowed softly on the screen, tracking our route in real time as we pushed

north.

Noah. He’s all that was left of my brother. I don’t know what I’d do if we didn’t get him back.

Every mile we drove felt like we were either getting closer to him… or further away from the truth.

Thoren sat beside me, one arm resting along the back of the seat, his posture relaxed in a way that didn’t match the tension in his eyes. His fingers brushed against mine occasionally, grounding, steady, like he knew exactly how tightly wound I was and refused to let me spiral.

Up front, Kael drove.

Focused.

Silent.

The radio crackled every few minutes with updates from the other vehicles.

“All units holding formation.”

“Ten minutes out.”

“Road clears ahead.”

Everything was controlled.

Organized.

But underneath it all, I could feel it.

That low, simmering edge that meant everyone was waiting for something to go wrong.

By the time we turned off the main road and onto a narrow dirt path, the air itself felt different.

Denser.

The trees closed in around us, tall and thick, branches stretching overhead like they were trying to swallow the sky whole. Gravel crunched beneath the tires as the SUVS slowed, weaving carefully through the uneven terrain.

“This is it,” Kael said, glancing at the map.

The vehicles came to a stop in a small clearing.

For a second, no one moved.

Then everything happened at once.

Doors opened.

Boots hit the ground.

Voices overlapped as the team shifted into motion.

I stepped out of the SUV, the cooler air brushing against my skin as I took in the surroundings. The forest

stretched endlessly in every direction, dense and quiet, the kind of quiet that didn’t feel natural.

Like something was watching.

“Perimeter first,” Kael called.

Several guards moved outward immediately, scanning the area while others popped open the backs of the

vehicles and began unloading equipment.

Duffel bags.

Weapon cases.

Drone kits.

Thoren stepped up beside me, his gaze sweeping the tree line.

“You feel that?” I asked quietly.

He nodded once.

“Yeah,”

Not fear.

Not exactly.

But something close.

A warning.

Kael turned toward a group of guards.

“You four on shifted search.”

They nodded.

Nothing obvious.

Nothing helpful.

Not yet.

We watched in silence for a while.

Minutes passed.

Maybe more.

Time felt strange out here.

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