Damon’s POV
The night was quiet…too quiet. After the battle, silence had blanketed the pack like a fragile peace offering. The moon hung pale over Winchester lands, painting everything in silver. Aria slept beside me, her breath soft, her face serene against my chest. For the first time in weeks, I let myself believe we’d finally earned rest.
First, I caught a whiff of it...sharp, acrid, and just not right.
Smoke.
I woke up suddenly, feeling my heart pounding hard against my chest. The air around me felt thick and heavy, almost too heavy to breathe. At first, I thought it was just a nightmare lingering at the edge of sleep, but then I heard it...the roaring sound of fire consuming wood. It was loud and unmistakable. Soon after, I caught the distant shouts coming from within the pack
