I heard the snarl before I saw Damian move.
It was low, guttural—barely restrained. His wolf rose to the surface like heat rising from sun-warmed stone, radiating fury at just the thought of someone threatening me.
But before he could fully shift, Ariyā leaned forward in my mind.
Peace, she murmured, brushing his wolf with wind and steady moonlight.
I felt him ease back, his exhale ragged.
I turned to Jack.
“I understand,” I said. “I won’t be caught unaware.”
He nodded once. “Good. Because the shadows you outran before?” His eyes sharpened, a warning behind the steel. “They don’t sleep. And now, they’ll be watching.”
My pulse thudded slow and steady.
Damian’s energy had finally settled. I could feel it before I saw it—his wolf quiet beneath Ariyā’s touch, his golden eyes still fie
