CHAPTER FORTY
The night drapes over us like a thick velvet shroud, stars blinking through the darkness as if they're in on our secret. Poised on the northern ridge, I can feel the thrum of the forest below, alive with the stirrings of creatures both mundane and magical. Love, Kyle, and I crouch low amongst the underbrush, our breaths shallow and synchronized. A short distance away, Alpha Torin stands with a silent authority that ripples through the air.
Torin's brown eyes scan the darkened forest, a strategic mind plotting behind his steady gaze. His presence is a calming force, even as anticipation coils tight within my chest. We've prepared for this moment, rehearsed our roles until they are second nature, but still, the weight of what's to come presses down on me.
"Remember," Torin's
