Chapter 29 

~Raphael ~ I look at the old tree. A tree I have no memory of. “Alpha, it is confirmed. We caught the scent. Rogues have entered the territory.” “How many?” I kneel and look at the darkened water. It’s murky but still normal water. The shadow of the tree, however, plays tricks and makes the pond seem darker. “Three, maybe four.” “An easy job. Have Urien lead.” “Yes, Alpha.” I look up at the endless sea of eyes that watch us. Ravens. “Do you have any memory of this place?” I ask one of my men who is still with me. “I… do not remember coming here,” he says. We’re still within my father’s territory, yet this place feels wrong. A faint memory stirs—I recall finding Valeria here once, lounging with her dog, Max, after a run. But before that moment, I have no memory of this place at all, though it feels as if it has always been here. The only signs of life this tree shows are the ravens perched on its leafless branches. It’s the only one of its kind. No other tree here looks like it. The woo