The forest was a labyrinth of shadows, the tall pines casting dark fingers that tangled beneath the pale light of the waning moon. My silver fur shimmered faintly as I ran, paws striking the damp earth in a frantic rhythm. Clarisa roared within me, her strength carrying the weight of my parents, whom I bore carefully across my back.
Mother clung to my fur, her trembling fingers buried in the nape of my neck, while Father sat rigid, his uneven breaths thundering in my ears. Each stride was a battle — not against their weight, but against the exhaustion creeping into my muscles, a reminder that even an Alpha like me had limits. But I couldn’t stop. Not with Ethan’s claws reaching for me in the distance — his presence a shadow I could feel even across miles.
I found a hidden clearing on the
