The First Battle
“The scent of blood lingers in the air,” Kade muttered, his sharp gaze fixed on the treeline ahead. “Something’s wrong.”
Aria tightened her grip on his arm, her heart hammering. “We need to get back. Now.”
They had only been a mile away from the pack’s borders when the ominous shift in the wind carried the metallic stench to them. The forest, usually alive with the soft hum of nocturnal creatures, had gone eerily silent. Even the trees seemed to hold their breath, waiting.
Kade didn’t hesitate. He shifted in an instant, his massive black wolf tearing through the undergrowth. Aria followed, the pull of the bond between them strengthening as her paws pounded against the damp earth. The closer they got, the more the scent thickened, suffocating, tainted with something dar
