Mag-log inThe whisper in the darkness didn’t fade. It lingered, curling through the trees like smoke, deliberate, knowing. I pressed closer to Cruz, heart hammering, Isla clinging tightly to my side.“Did you hear that?” I whispered, voice trembling.Cruz didn’t answer immediately. His hand brushed my shoulder, firm, grounding. “I did,” he said finally, low and dangerous. “And it’s close. Too close.”Blade crouched ahead, knife ready, eyes sharp. “It’s stalking us. No doubt about it. Whoever—or whatever—it is… it knows our patterns.”I swallowed hard. “How do we fight something we can’t even see?”Cruz’s gaze snapped to mine, stormy, protective, and… impossible to ignore. “We don’t fight blind,” he said, voice low, rough. “We fight smart. We fight together.”I could feel the heat in his words, the tension in his body pressed just a little too close, the unspoken pull between us. My pulse quickened, and I had to force myself to focus on survival, not… him.Isla whimpered, and I shifted, pre
The forest felt alive, every shadow twitching with menace, every leaf trembling as if it carried a warning. I stayed close to Cruz, Isla clinging to my side, and Blade moving a few steps ahead, alert, sharp.“Do you think it’s gone?” I whispered, voice tight with fear and exhaustion.Cruz’s hand brushed mine again—not quite a touch, not quite holding, just enough to make my heart stutter. “Gone?” he repeated, low and dangerous. “No. It’s waiting. Always waiting. And it makes us afraid.”I swallowed hard. “I’m… not afraid.”“You are,” he said bluntly, eyes locking on mine. The way he said it—like he could see every secret thought, every trembling heartbeat—I flushed, unable to look away. “But that’s okay. Fear sharpens you. Makes you… careful. Makes me… want to keep you safe.”My breath hitched, and I had to bite my lip to keep from saying something I shouldn’t. The heat from him, the storm in his eyes, the protective edge in his voice… it was intoxicating.Blade grunted from ahe
I could feel Cruz’s grip tighten on my hand, his presence a wall of heat and protection, but the shadow figure’s words had planted something inside me—a seed of dread I couldn’t shake.“You said… cracks,” I whispered, barely audible over the pounding of my heart.Cruz’s jaw clenched, eyes dark, stormy. “I don’t have cracks,” he said, but his voice carried a sharp edge, something raw, human, vulnerable. “I protect. That’s all that matters.”I swallowed hard, pressing closer without thinking. The brush of his side against mine sent a shiver through me, and I had to look away, focusing on the shadows that shifted around us.Blade’s voice cut through the tense quiet. “They’re testing us. That thing… whoever controls it… they’re probing. Finding weakness. Don’t give them one.”I nodded, gripping Isla tighter. “We won’t.”Cruz’s gaze flicked to me for a split second. His hand, over mine, squeezed lightly—possessive, grounding. I felt my pulse thrum for reasons I didn’t want to name.The
I pressed Isla closer, heart hammering so hard I thought it might burst. Cruz’s hand was still on my shoulder, grounding me, but the weight of what had just happened—what was still out there—pressed down on all of us.“Nova,” Cruz muttered, low, his voice vibrating with controlled fury. “Stay close. Don’t move unless I tell you.”“I… I’m fine,” I whispered, though my voice trembled. Truthfully, I wasn’t fine. Every muscle in my body was screaming, every nerve on fire, and yet… I couldn’t tear my eyes from him.Cruz’s eyes caught mine for a split second—dark, intense, protective. “You’re not fine,” he said, voice rough. “And don’t ever say that to me again.”I swallowed, heat burning my cheeks. “I… okay. I won’t.”Blade stepped forward, scanning the treeline with lethal precision. “We need to move,” he said, voice clipped. “They’re still out there. Watching. Waiting.”Cruz nodded, eyes still sharp, protective, but he didn’t take his gaze off me. “Stay behind me,” he ordered, gen
I pressed Isla tighter to my chest, every muscle coiled with fear. Cruz’s hand remained on my shoulder, steady, grounding, but I could feel the tension radiating off him in waves. Blade moved beside us, silent and alert, eyes scanning every shadow.The voice came again, closer, low, deliberate: “I wondered how long it would take you to show yourselves.”Cruz’s jaw tightened. “Step out. Show yourself. Enough games.”Silence.Then a rustle—a figure stepping out from behind the trees. Not the shadow we’d fought before, but a human—or at least mostly human. Dark, tall, with eyes that seemed to pierce straight through the night. And they were smiling.“Who are you?” I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady, though fear quivered beneath it.The figure tilted their head, amused. “Isn’t that what you want to know? Don’t worry. You’ll learn… soon enough.”Cruz stepped forward, knife raised. “Hands where I can see them. Now.”The figure laughed softly, a sound that made my skin crawl. “Re
The forest was quiet, but the silence didn’t feel safe. My heart thumped so loud I was sure anyone—or anything—could hear it. Blade stayed close, knife in hand, every muscle coiled. Cruz was just ahead, moving like he owned the shadows, but even he didn’t look relaxed. Not after last night.I tightened my grip on Isla, feeling her small hands clutch mine. “Cruz…” My voice was barely above a whisper, trembling with everything I hadn’t let out yet.He glanced back at me, eyes sharp, dark, and dangerous, but soft just enough when they met mine. “We’re not done. Not until they know we won’t be hunted again.”I swallowed, trying to calm the mix of fear and relief. “I know… but—”“No buts,” he interrupted, voice low and commanding. “I can’t have you scared. Not now. Not ever.”My chest tightened. His hand brushed mine for just a second as he moved past, a spark that shouldn’t have been possible in the middle of a forest still thick with tension. My breath caught, and I realized I wa







