~Laurent
The crunch of gravel grew sharper as the night wind cut through the broken doorway. I lifted my blade and waited—ready for another wave, another set of monsters to vent out my anger on.
But it wasn’t more shifters.
It was Denzel. And Kendrix.
They stepped into the wreckage like men crossing a battlefield they hadn’t fought on. Their boots sank in the blood pooling near the threshold. The smell hit them first; the sight followed. The ruined furniture. The glass. The quiet bodies.
Kendrix froze mid-step. “What the hell—” He didn’t finish. His gaze found her.
“Ciela!”
He was at her side before Denzel could speak, dropping to his knees. His hands shook as he touched her face, brushed hair from her cheek like he could will her eyes open. “Ciela, hey—wake up, come on—please.” His
