The forest stretched endlessly, shrouded in mist that clung to the trunks like a living veil. Each step I took was deliberate, careful, the soft rustle of leaves beneath my boots the only sound besides the distant cry of a hawk. The valley behind me had become a distant memory, a crucible where I had forged myself from the fragile girl who had fled Nightfang Pack into a predator who now walked with purpose, with awareness, with unyielding will.
But the wilderness, as I was learning, had more than one lesson to teach. Survival was not just about strength or speed; it was about intuition, perception, and the ability to remain unseen. I had learned to read every rustle of the branches, every subtle vibration in the soil. The bond at my neck, faint and steady, pulsed now not as a warning but
