Lucian's Pov
The forest breathed around me.
It wasn't quiet—it was alive with tension. Each sound threaded with the same coiled anticipation that buzzed beneath my skin. The wind whispered through the leaves high above, twisting and curling like it carried secrets meant only for those who listened closely enough. The undergrowth lay thick, tangled with brambles and fallen leaves.
Somewhere in the distance, a twig snapped.
Then silence.
A few heartbeats later, a rustle of foliage. The wind shifted again. The scent trail of another wolf briefly teased the edge of my senses before vanishing into the natural musk of the wild.
I stayed low, crouched beneath the dark canopy of a broad, ancient tree, its branches heavy with moss and shadow. My wolf form was cloaked in black fur that shimmered like spilled ink beneath dappled light. I blended in perfectly here. If someone stumbled upon me now, they'd think I was a shadow. A phantom. Or, more likely, they wouldn't see me at all.
