The forest was silent in the early morning light, but the silence felt wrong. It pressed in on Kane from every side, heavy and expectant, as though the trees themselves were holding their breath. The air smelled faintly of damp earth and distant fire, and with each breath, she could feel her own blood pulsing like a drum, quickening with anticipation.
She sat at the edge of the clearing, muscles coiled, eyes wide and alert. Her wolf shifted beneath her skin, restless and eager, sensing the threat that lurked beyond the tree line. The Alpha Warning ritual had bound her to Adrian, tethered her life to his protection, but the knowledge that the Devourer had tracked her here gnawed at her resolve.
Adrian stood behind her, a silent sentinel, every muscle rigid, his amber eyes scanning the for
