The forest held its breath.Even the wind seemed to hesitate, caught between fleeing and witnessing what was about to unfold.Aria didn’t move.She couldn’t.The shadows ahead of them thickened, folding into shapes that refused to fully belong to the world she knew. They were almost wolves… but wrong in the way a reflection looks when the mirror is cracked.Too still.Too quiet.Too empty.Damien’s arm shifted slightly, placing her firmly behind him.“Stay close,” he said, his voice low and controlled.Aria nodded, though her heart hammered against her ribs like it was trying to escape.Jay stepped to Damien’s side, his stance already coiled for attack.“On your signal,” he muttered.But Damien didn’t answer.Because one of the shadows stepped forward.Fully.And the moment it did, the air changed.The figure was tall, lean, its form wavering between human and wolf as if it hadn’t decided what it wanted to be. Its eyes glowed faintly… not with life, not with rage.With hunger.Pure, e
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