Carter's POV
It happened fast. One second we were crouched low behind a jagged boulder, snow biting at our ankles like teeth, the cold sharp enough to burn, and the next: the air snapped, brittle and loud, with the thud of boots crunching through frost and the guttural snarl of voices slicing through the trees like blades.
The hunter had backup.
Three, maybe four of them, fanning out in a wide arc, closing in from different angles with practiced precision. I could smell them before I could see them—gun oil, sweat, adrenaline. And underneath it all, the unmistakable scent of Shadowridge. Jake’s scent, smeared over their armor, embedded in the seams of their gear. His command still clung to their skin like grease, like something rot-slick and unnatural.
Beside me, Ruby's breath caught,
