CELINE’S POV
The silence pressed against me so heavily that every breath felt too loud. My fingers curled into fists at my sides, and I forced myself to keep walking. If I kept my head down, if I just focused on the path ahead, I would be fine. I had to be.
Then I heard it.
A sound, faint but distinct—like the crunch of leaves underfoot. Not mine.
I froze, every muscle locking tight. My ears strained, but the forest had already swallowed the noise. My wolf bristled uneasily inside me, urging caution.
“Probably nothing,” I whispered to myself, though my heart hammered. “Just the wind. Just the trees.”
But then it came again. Louder this time. Deliberate.
Against my better judgment, I turned my head toward the sound and followed it, my boots sinking into the soft earth. One step. Two.
