Michael
The forest swallowed us the moment we left the cabin. Pine needles whispered in the wind, frost clung to every branch, and the night pressed sharp and clear against my lungs. The air was alive with silence, the kind that only came after bloodshed.
Michelle walked beside me, arms folded tight across her chest. The duffle I’d slung across my shoulder swung against my hip with every step, but it wasn’t weight that dragged me—it was Nicolai.
My wolf was restless, claws raking the inside of my skin. Shift. Faster. She rides with us or she falls behind.
I gritted my teeth. He wasn’t wrong. On foot, it would take us all night to reach White Moon’s borders, and we’d still have mountains to cut through. I glanced at Michelle. She was strong, but exhaustion hung from her shoulders, her b
