No one spoke.
Not immediately.
Elyra's warning lingered over Beaumont like a storm cloud.
The truth was the danger.
Not the lies.
Not the secrets.
The truth.
My wolf remained standing inside me.
Alert.
Listening.
For the first time since she'd awakened, I felt her clearly.
Not distant.
Not faint.
Present.
The sensation should have been comforting.
Instead, it made everything feel more real.
Because if my wolf was truly awake...
Then whatever had hunted me before birth was real too.
The villagers behind us shifted uneasily.
Whispers spread through the crowd.
Fear moved faster than wildfire.
I couldn't blame them.
I was afraid too.
Father stepped forward.
"The hunters are a story."
Elyra's expression didn't change.
"No."
His jaw tightened.
"They disappeared genera
