forest. It was beautiful, almost peaceful... except for the

sound of branches brushing the roof, the low growl of distant wolves made me startle. I'd tried to tell myse

ls clinking softly against plates. Lyric's eyes darted toward every shadowed c

d under his breath, as though sp

ls, the strange footprints, the backpack it had all led to this. W

ched me. His gray eyes bore

aying in town

, trying to mask my uneas

lf," he agreed. "But y

e kind that burrow

was like a shield, but I still felt the forest watching. Every tree see

tree line. "Stay

s close,"

ention had shifted to som

en I s

r a normal animal. My pulse quickened. Kael stiffened beside me. His hand brushed

hind me,

s just out of reach. Branches scraped my jacket as we moved deeper, and I noticed mor

hen i

moving with grace that was almost predatory. Kael stepped i

away," he growled,

urrender. "I didn't come here to fight... yet," a v

mach d

. "You're the one be

tilting his head. "Maybe I ju

but I clenched my jaw. I

the moonlight caught a glint of fangs. My

my shoulder. "Back

n't just intimidating it was primal, magnetic, commanding. I could feel the

haos e

for a moment. And then the shadows moved dozens of them, shapes blurred in moonlight, circling us. Wo

itio

humans both, their eyes reflecting the silver light. Lyric appear

o my chest like a blade. "The Alpha has brou

shift control melting into raw instinct.

you," I said, gra

fierce but conflicted.

t our clothes. Behind us, the pack fought with precision and fury, shadows and movemen

n... a

ewhere in the fray, someone had fallen

The lyrics held me tight. "You're okay,

't fee

of the pack. I thought of t

asn't just out there. It was closer, smarte

ver was coming, I knew one thing: I couldn't run anymore.

nd I had no choice but to face the shadows

ss the treetops. I took a deep breath, trying to

od fully that the danger wasn't ju