The morning unfolded with a serene stillness, the kind that made it feel as though the world itself was holding its breath. The first light of dawn filtered through the narrow opening of the cave, casting a soft golden glow across the stone walls. The group stirred from their restless sleep, each movement deliberate and quiet, as if not wanting to break the fragile peace that hung in the air. Lila sat against the cold rock, her back supported by the wall, her injuries still sore but less unbearable than they had been. Every breath she took felt a little easier, the tension in her body loosening as the pain gradually subsided.
Her wolf, the wild part of her that had been silent since Sebastian’s brutal torture, began to stir faintly within her. It was a subtle shift, like the first hint o
