The forest stretched out endlessly before Claire, its shadows dancing under the pale light of the moon. Each tree seemed alive, whispering secrets she couldn’t quite decipher. Her breathing was steady, her bare feet sinking into the damp earth as she crouched low, the cool night air brushing against her skin.
Ethan’s voice cut through the silence, calm but commanding. “Feel it, Claire. The power in your veins. Don’t fight it—let it guide you.”
She glanced over her shoulder at him. He was a few paces behind her, his presence a constant weight. His gaze never wavered, those piercing eyes of his tracking her every move.
“I feel like I’m going to explode,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. Her body still thrummed with the aftershocks of the shift, her senses raw and overwhelmi
