KAI
My legs, once as sturdy as the ancient oaks that ringed our territory, now felt like saplings in a gale. Each step was a triumph over the lingering venom that had almost claimed my life. The sun was beginning its descent, casting long shadows across the mansion's grand hallway, as I hobbled toward the warmth of the kitchen. Nala had promised a hearty stew, and after weeks of broth and bland hospital food, my stomach growled in anticipation.
Thunder stirred within me, his presence a constant comfort. "You're getting stronger every day," he rumbled in my mind, a companion no one else could sense.
A sudden buzz from my phone broke through the quiet. Alexis's name flashed on the screen, her photo still saved from when times were simpler—when we were just two kids trying to ignore what f
