"Run!" Darian’s command ripped through the sudden silence of the forest. But my legs felt like lead, anchored to the earth by the sheer weight of the predatory gaze of those glowing red eyes. This was not the natural musk of wolves; this was the scent of rot and ancient malice.
"I won't leave you," I whispered, though my voice shook. My wolf, once so silent and weak, was now a thrumming engine of heat beneath my skin. I remembered how Darian had saved me from the first group of rogues that attacked when I was alone and injured. I wouldn't let him face these new horrors by himself.
Darian didn't argue. He shifted partially, his muscles bulging beneath his dark clothes, his silver eyes flashing with a light that pushed back the encroaching shadows. "Then stay behind me. Whatever these thin
