Maya's POV:
I stepped out of the pack house and straight into hell.
The forest wasn’t a forest anymore—it was a blur of fur and teeth, blood on the ground, wolves slamming into each other with bone-cracking force. The smell of pine and wet earth was drowned out by the sharp, bloody tang of open wounds.
Kai was at the tree line, a streak of gray fur and muscle, holding off two wolves at once. His coat was already streaked red. Through our bond, I felt his strength and his stubborn fight—but also the strain pulling at him. Thirty wolves. Even an Alpha couldn’t hold that forever.
“Maya!”
Elena’s voice cut through the chaos like a knife. She stood far off, untouched, like she was watching a stage play instead of a battle. “How terribly sweet of you to finally join us.”
I didn’t answer he
