Damon's POV
‘Don't lose her,' Ryan, my lycan, snarled, his presence surging beneath my skin.
I froze mid-step.
He never spoke unless it was life or death. His silence was his nature— stoic, cold, disciplined. But the moment that scent touched my senses, he stirred like a beast awakened from slumber.
Lavender and honey.
Sweet and wild.
The fragrance danced through the damp forest air, wrapping around me like a memory I never lived but somehow knew deep in my bones. It wasn’t just a scent.
My heartbeat kicked up. The last time I smelled it was near Carsten, weeks ago. I caught the scent for a second, maybe less. Then nothing. Like she had been swallowed by the forest itself.
But now?
Now it was stronger.
Closer.
Almost alive!
'Follow it.’ Ryan's voice rumbled through my bones,
