The next morning I woke to a piercing howl, a wolf’s desperate cry for help that jolted me out of sleep. My heart pounded, and I shot upright, throwing off the blanket without a second thought. I rushed outside, not even pausing to wonder if I’d imagined the sound or if anyone else had heard it. It was still dark, the world quiet except for that haunting howl echoing in my ears. My wolf senses kicked in, heightened and alert, guiding me like a beacon. The howl came again, raw and full of pain, and I knew exactly which direction it was coming from. I ran toward it, my feet moving faster than my mind could keep up with. Part of me was screaming, *What the hell are you doing, Ashley?* but another part, the part tied to Alexa, my wolf, pushed me forward, refusing to let me stop.
I burst into
