The bloodcurdling howl faded into the night, replaced by a silence so sharp it could cut. Every muscle in my body tensed as I searched the woods for the source of the sound. Lucas, standing beside me, had gone rigid, his eyes darting between the trees. Derek moved closer, his hand hovering near his side as if ready to summon his wolf at any moment.
Then, out of nowhere, a sharp whistle sliced through the stillness—a deadly arrow aimed straight at Lucas.
“Lucas!” I screamed, instinctively moving toward him.
Lucas saw it just in time. With a sharp intake of breath, he sidestepped the projectile, the arrow missing him by mere inches.
But it didn’t stop.
The arrow, cruel and unyielding, found a new target.
Time slowed as Clara, Mom, Gabriel’s wife, stood frozen, her eyes wide with shock.
