The drive grew heavier with every mile.
Nova sat between Max and Logan in the lead SUV, her eyes locked on the tree-lined road ahead. A convoy of pack warriors followed in two more black SUVs, Gamma Lincoln leading the rear. No one spoke much. The air was too thick with dread.
When the first plume of black smoke curled into view above the treetops, Nova’s heart dropped.
“Smoke,” Lincoln confirmed from the comms. “A lot of it.”
Nova’s pulse raced. She reached out instinctively and grabbed Max’s hand. “Go faster.”
Max didn’t hesitate. The SUV surged forward.
They passed the old warding stones—cracked and broken—before cresting the final hill that led into what used to be the heart of her father’s territory.
And then the world stopped.
Ash blanketed everything. The once-lush forest cl
