I wake before sunrise, the cold bite of the morning air pressing against my skin as I squeeze through the thick underbrush. Last night’s hiding spot is still etched in my memory—the rustle of leaves, the low growls of rogue wolves retreating, the pounding of my heart as I crouched, frozen.
Every instinct in me screams caution, but the urgency behind my decision refuses to quiet. I cannot stay here. I cannot wait for Asher or anyone else to protect me. Not anymore.
The forest is eerily quiet now. Dew drips from leaves, soaking my hair and jacket. My senses are alive, each sound magnified—the distant call of a bird, the snap of a twig under some unseen animal, the faint rustle of wind through branches.
I adjust my footing and move slowly, deliberately, along the path that leads toward m
