Rafael's Point of View
The sun cuts through the trees in thin beams, painting shifting patterns of gold and shadow across the forest floor. It is warm, too warm for the tension sitting between my shoulder blades. Sweat clings under my shirt as I push through the brush, every step leaving a soft crunch in the dirt.
Jace keeps pace on my right, his eyes sharp and restless. The silence between us is heavy, not uncomfortable but focused, we are both listening, and we are both waiting.
The forest feels…wrong. Too quiet for this time of day. Birds should be calling, squirrels darting through the branches, but instead, there is only the rustle of leaves when the wind stirs them. My wolf paces inside me, claws dragging, and hackles raised.
I crouch down suddenly, my fingers brushing over the s
