The storm rolled in fast.
Rain slashed through the forest canopy like cold daggers, soaking Rayne to the bone as she sprinted through thick underbrush. Her limbs ached from days of nonstop movement, and her throat burned with every breath. But she couldn’t stop. Not now.
Not when she sensed another pursuer.
The tracker she wounded days ago must have sent others. And these new ones—whoever they were—were better trained, faster, and more relentless. She could feel them on her heels like wolves scenting blood.
She darted into a ravine, slid down the muddy slope, and tucked herself behind a rock outcropping, pressing her body against the cold stone.
Her pulse thundered in her ears.
She wasn’t sure how long she stayed there, rain pounding the earth around her. Eventually, the footsteps fa
