The obsidian pillars loomed like ancient sentinels against the night sky, their black surfaces reflecting the unnatural aurora that writhed above Mount Shasta's peak. Daisy stood naked and shivering at the ritual circle's edge, the Moon's Tear pulsing urgently against her throat as reality thinned above them. Her transformation back from leopard form had left her exposed in more ways than one—vulnerable not just physically but spiritually as the Ke'tala's nightmare still echoed through her consciousness.
"Daisy!"
Christian's voice cut through the disorientation clouding her mind. She turned to see him striding toward her, frost trailing his footsteps in elaborate patterns that betrayed his relief. Without hesitation, he shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, his ha
