The growls from the forest grew louder, more distinct, filling the air with an eerie resonance that sent a chill down Lily’s spine. Eric moved in front of her instinctively, his body bristling with Alpha dominance, ready to protect her from whatever emerged from the shadows. But even with his strength, the overwhelming sense of darkness pressing in from the treeline made Lily’s pulse race with fear.
The forest, which had once been a familiar, comforting presence, now seemed like a living entity, hiding something far more dangerous than any rogue wolf. The trees swayed unnaturally in the wind, their branches creaking as though they were whispering secrets to the darkness that lurked just beyond sight.
“What is it?” Lily whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her own hear
