CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
A sharp howl slices through the tranquility of the forest, sending a shiver down my spine. I drop the herbs I was collecting and race towards the source. Every beat of my heart pounds in sync with my hastening steps, alert to the distress call of a fellow pack member.
When I arrive at the clearing, the sight grips me with icy fear. A wolf from the Stone pack lies sprawled on the mossy floor, her flank marred with a deep gash that oozes crimson. The members of the pack encircle her, their fur bristling with anxiety. She whimpers, the sound so laced with pain it feels like a punch to my gut.
"Lane!" one of them calls out, his voice rough with desperation. "She needs you."
I kneel beside the injured wolf, my hands hovering over the wound. My mind races back to a conversat
