I had foolishly allowed myself to believe that the worst was behind us.
But as the heavy, suffocating silence of the ancient woods closed in around us, a cold truth settled deep into my bones:
Danger was never polite. Rather, it hunted in a devious manner.
And considering the sheer volume of times Darius had explicitly warned me about the perils lurking just beyond the borders of our shattered safety, I should not have been astonished.
Speaking of Darius, my tall, imposing mate had been on high alert ever since we crossed the threshold of the chambers. He walked with a lethal grace, but his focus was not entirely aligned.
Every few paces, he would abruptly halt, tilting his chin upward to sniff the heavy air. His sharp gaze would dart aggressively from left to right, his piercing
