XERXES
The stars stretched endlessly above me, brilliant and cold against the velvet black sky. They were my constant companions, their light reaching me from distances so vast it made all my problems feel small. Out here, beneath their gaze, I could breathe. I could think.
I lay back in the grass of the clearing, my hands clasped behind my head. The night air was cool against my skin, carrying the earthy scent of the forest and the faint sweetness of blooming wildflowers. It was quiet—peaceful, even. But that peace didn’t last.
The first sign was a faint stirring inside me, a flicker of unease that I couldn’t place. I frowned, sitting up slowly, my senses sharpening. My wolf growled deep within me, a low and warning sound that vibrated through my chest.
Something’s wrong.
“Talk to m
