Greykin Valley

| 84 | Sequoia Point

⥐ ⋞ ☽ ⋟ ⥐

| Jackson |

Raphael and Sebastien forged a path through the oppressive silence of the forest. The farther they ventured from the sheltering embrace of Reiner Manor, an unsettling eeriness seeped into the air. A profound stillness hung like a shroud, with no avian melodies to grace the atmosphere—only the disconcerting gaze of the elusive căutător creatures.

In the desolate realm, the absence of familiar forest denizens intensified the unsettling ambience. No chirping birds, no scampering rabbits, and no rustling leaves beneath the paws of elusive foxes. The woods stood as a vacant expanse, casting a disquieting pallor over Jackson's senses; a hollow emptiness that failed to bring him solace, for in the silence, ominous possibilities seemed to emerge.

Jackson, gripped by a heightened sense of vigilance, scanned his surroundings with an almost desperate intensity. Every shadow and every rustle became a potential harbinger of unseen threats. The looming presence of the rotting cadejo or the antlered wolf lingered in the periphery of his consciousness, a spectral menace that heightened the already palpable tension in the air. In the quiet of the woods, where nature's choir had been silenced, the foreboding notion of unseen malevolence crept steadily through the shadows.

"I don't know what I hate more," Julian muttered. "When it's dead quiet, or when there's cadejo nearby growling and whatever."

"I hate the silence," Remus mumbled.

"Same," Brando replied.

"Shh," Raphael snapped.

They went silent.

Jackson wanted to ask how far the border to Greykin Valley was, but he didn't want to get snapped at, nor did he want to be the reason that danger found them. So he kept quiet, constantly checking every direction for the slightest sign of movement. However, the fact that he didn't feel eyes on him or that something was coming had to be a good thing, right?

"Are you okay?" Damon asked very quietly.

With a nod, Jackson tried to match his voice's volume and said, "Yeah, just...nervous. Do you know how far we are from the valley?"

"No," he replied. "Wait here."

Jackson watched his mate leave his side and head up to the front of the group. He listened in, ignoring Amos and Elias, who moved closer to him the moment Damon left.

"How far are we from the valley?" the Alpha asked Sebastien.

"Several hours," the hound replied. "We'll be there by dusk."

Jackson exhaled quietly in disappointment. Dusk was nine hours away. Were they really going to be travelling non-stop for nine hours?

Damon returned to his side. "Nine hours or so—dusk."

"Are we gonna be like...stopping for a break?" Julian questioned before Jackson could.

"Once we reach sequoia point," Elias answered.

"What's sequoia point?" Lalo asked.

"The beginning of the sequoia forest that surrounds the border of Greykin Valley," Raphael answered. "Now be quiet, all of you."

They did as they were told and moved silently through the woods.

Jackson still felt anxious; he tried to focus on the contentedness that came with knowing he'd imprinted on Damon, that Damon really was his demon mate, but his anxiety fought off any other emotion.