Caleb’s POV
The chaos of Mara’s residence faded behind us like a nightmare, the howls of the attackers and the crackle of splintering wood still echoing in my ears. I ran with Mara at my side, her human form limping slightly, her dark skin splattered with blood dripping from a deep wound in her flank. The shift had saved us—I had carried her after saving the lunar priestess from the claws of the assailants, her chant of union cut short by the roar of unknown wolves bursting into the clearing. Gunthar, or his allies, most likely. It had to be him. The attack had been precise, timely, as if he had known about our secret ceremony.
We pushed deeper into the Bloodhowl forest, the dense trees offering cover, the scent of pine and damp earth filling my lungs. Mara stumbled, a groan escaping her
