ALAN POV
The clearing came into view, and time stopped.
Golden fur gleamed under the moonlight, streaked with crimson. Blood. Her blood. Amber.
Blake’s roar erupted from deep within, shaking every fiber of my being. It wasn’t just rage—it was a fury so primal it threatened to shatter me.
Amber—no, *Autumn*, the name Rett had given her—lay crumpled in the snow, her body twisted in a way that made my stomach churn. One leg bent unnaturally, her sides heaving with shallow breaths, and her golden coat matted with blood.
Three rogues circled her like vultures. One crouched close, his filthy muzzle inches from her neck, his yellow eyes gleaming with sick anticipation.
*Mine!* Blake’s snarl tore through my mind, raw and vicious. There was no hesitation, no thought—only instinct.
