The shadows didn’t wait. Even as we caught our breath, they surged forward again, twisting and writhing across the forest floor toward the packhouse. I could hear the alarm from a distance—the shouts of pack members, the clanging of doors, the sounds of panic and preparation. The bond pulsed in my chest, frantic but steady, pushing me forward.
“We can’t let them reach the pack!” I shouted, gripping Asher’s hand tighter. His energy was steady, solid, and for the first time, I felt it differently. Not just as a shield or protection, but as something fierce, something alive. Something of his own.
Gage’s golden energy flared, responding to mine and Asher’s. Together, we formed a wall of light and force. The shadows screamed as they struck, lashing at the barrier, but each time they hit, they
