*Greenwood Territory — Dawn*
The forest was no longer quiet.
Birds stirred in the canopy, but even they seemed cautious. The moss underfoot felt warmer. The air, denser.
Crystal stood still.
Her hand remained clasped in Ryder’s, grounding her, but her body felt like it was carrying lightning. The dream had left more than echoes, it left knowledge of bloodlines, of a Gate that remembered her steps and a name whispered in the dark between worlds.
The Gate had shown her echoes of a truth too large to carry.
Her wolf was no longer restless.
Then she heard it, a quiet inhale. Not hers.
Crystal turned slightly to see Ethan standing just a few feet away, staring at the girl who had stepped into the clearing.
The one who had stopped mid-step, whose wide brown eyes locked with his as thoug
