?Chapter 844:


    I hesitated for a beat before answering, my voice steady, “Sorry, but I’d rather keep my name to myself.”


    Makenna’s POV:


    After the man named Alden left, Jett frowned and nced at me, his eyes narrowing with concern. “Makenna, you were too impulsive just now. If we got noticed, it could spell disaster for us.”


    Regret washed over me like a cold wave. “I know I was wrong. I’m sorry,” I whispered, dropping my gaze. “I acted on impulse without thinking it through. What I did practically painted targets on our backs.”


    Jett sighed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “Well, what’s done is done. We must tread more carefully from here on out.”


    I nodded quickly, lifting my eyes to the darkening sky above. A biting chill slithered down my cor, sending an icy shiver racing down my spine. “It’s getting dark. What’s our n until dawn?”


    “Let’s secure shelter first,” Jett replied, weariness etched into every line of his face.


    Our hopes dimmed as we approached several hotels only to find werewolf guards stationed at each entrance, scrutinizing everyone who passed through their doors with merciless attention.


    My heart plummeted at the sight.


    It seemed the entire werewolf territory was on high alert.


    After hours of fruitless searching, darkness swallowed thest remnants of daylight.


    To avoid unwanted eyes, we reluctantly retreated beneath a bridge’s shadow.


    Winter had sunk its teeth deep into thend. Theke beside the bridge had frozen solid, its surface gleaming like polished silver under the faint moonlight.


    As I stared at the unforgiving ice, frustration surged through me. I mmed my foot against the bridge pir, the sound echoing in the frigid air. “We can’t keep living like hunted animals! We must infiltrate the werewolf forest and free our people. Only then will I have the leverage to confront Leonardo and rescue Grace!”


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    Jett’s expression hardened as he nodded solemnly. “You’re right. Every second counts against us now. Each moment we hesitate only increases our chance of discovery. Since finding proper shelter seems impossible, we might as well scout the residence of Dayton Pierce, the mayor of Marehelm. Perhaps we can acquire a pass into the werewolf forest—by whatever means necessary.”


    I pulled my ck cloak tighter around my shoulders, the fabric offering little warmth against the biting cold. With a determined nod to Jett, I said, “Let’s move tonight and assess the situation around the mayor’s residence.”


    Under night’s protective veil, we slipped into the downtown area of Marehelm like ghosts.


    The city’s security had transformed into an imprable web—soldiers prowled every street corner, rifles clutched in white-knuckled grips.


    Jett and I crouched low, melting from one shadow to the next. Through sheer luck and careful timing, we managed to reach the outskirts of Dayton’s residence undetected.


    Just as relief began to unfurl within my chest, a sudden “crack” shattered the silence—my foot had found a brittle twig.


    Oh no!


    That tiny sound, barely louder than a whisper, might as well have been a thunderp in the tense silence.


    “Who’s there?” a soldier barked, his voice slicing through the darkness like a de.


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