My fur burns like living flame.
Not orange or rust, but a deep, blazing red that glows against the muted greens and browns of the forest floor, every movement trailing heat and light like embers stirred by wind, and the power under my skin is no longer contained, no longer hidden, it is visible and undeniable and mine. I take a single step forward and the ground feels like it recognises me, like the forest itself is holding still to watch.
Axel and Atticus drop to their knees.
They don’t hesitate, they don’t exchange a glance or make a conscious decision, their bodies simply obey an instinct older than thought, heads bowed, shoulders squared, submission written into every line of them, and the shock of it hits me so hard that I freeze mid step. Before I can even process that, movement r
