Irene's POV.
I couldn’t stay inside anymore.
The heat had turned into something alive, something that clawed at me from the inside. My skin felt too tight, my thighs slick no matter how many times I changed my clothes. Every breath came short and shaky. I slipped out of the pack house after midnight, moving quiet through the back door, hoping no one would notice.
The trees called to me. The woods felt safer, darker, like they could hide what I was becoming. I walked fast at first, then faster, my bare feet hitting the dirt path. My heart hammered in my chest. The bond pulled harder with every step, like it knew exactly where I needed to go.
I didn’t plan to run.
But when I heard footsteps behind me, something inside me snapped.
I took off.
Branches whipped past my face. My dress ca
