SCARLETT
The next howl shattered the cavern like a quake. Dust rained from the ceiling, jagged rocks groaning as the echo twisted through the tunnels.
Kael’s fire flared instinctively, bathing the walls in molten orange. “That’s no ordinary pack,” he said, voice clipped, scanning the black corridor that sloped downward. “They move as one too precisely.”
Darius closed his eyes briefly, listening with his storm-sense. “At least a dozen. Maybe more. Heartbeats fast… not mortal wolves.”
Lucien stepped closer to the mouth of the tunnel, shadow curling around his boots. “They’re hunters. And they smell her.” His black eyes met mine, sharp with knowing. “They come for the Moonbane.”
The mark on my chest pulsed in response, a searing reminder of the choice I hadn’t made.
“We can’t fight bli
