The cabin door shut behind Rowan with a soft, final thud, sealing out the howling wind and the scent of blood fading in the distance. The silence that followed felt fragile—like the layer of calm after thunder, thin and trembling, ready to shatter the second someone breathed too loudly.
Holly remained where Rowan had left her, standing in the middle of the room with the poker still loosely in her hand, her knuckles pale. The fire snapped inside the stove, casting warm orange light across her face and the trembling outline of her shoulders.
Lila hovered close to the table, blanket wrapped tight like a second skin. She kept glancing toward the window as if expecting the shadow to return.
Rowan planted himself a few steps inside, the cold still clinging to his bare skin. His breaths were s
