The Sacred Grove feels like a dream I’m not ready to wake up from.
Massive trees tower around us like a natural cathedral. Sunlight filters through the leaves in quiet beams, making the stone paths glow. The houses don’t look built. They look like they grew out of the forest itself. Every branch and root feels alive. In the center stands a giant white oak, its wide branches stretched out like arms, sheltering the whole place. This is where the first shifters were born. That’s what the legends say.
Nora squeezes my hand harder. Her fingers are cold, but her grip is tight. I can feel what she’s feeling through the bond. Amazement. Fear. And something else. Like the ground’s been pulled out from under her, but she’s refusing to fall.
“Cade,” she whispers. Her voice trembles. “This can’t be
