Chapter 22: One Day Left
The final day before the full moon dawned gray and heavy, as if the sky itself sensed the storm about to break.
Elena stood on the porch of Luke’s cabin, wrapped in one of his oversized flannel shirts, sipping hot coffee.
The forest felt alive with tension. Distant howls echoed more frequently.
The air carried the sharp scent of approaching rain and something darker — the metallic edge of coming violence.
Luke stepped up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her back against his chest.
He pressed a slow kiss to the side of her neck, right where the claiming mark would soon sit.
“You’re quiet this morning,” he murmured, voice still rough from sleep and the long night they had spent tangled together.
Elena leaned into his warmth. “One d
