AYLA'S POV
The horn's echo rolled through the burning forest like a death knell. Wolves froze. Even the flames seemed to pause, crackling in uneasy rhythm with that ancient, bone-deep sound.
Kael's golden eyes met mine. He didn't need to speak—I felt his thought through the bond, raw and urgent.
We can't win this here.
The first ranks of the Seer Council's army emerged from the trees, snow crunching under their boots, green eyes gleaming in the firelight. Wolves padded at their sides, fur dark as shadow, their movements wrong—too uniform, as if one mind directed them all.
Cassia stumbled back toward them, smoke curling from her hands. Her smile was sharp and jagged. "Run, little Luna. Run, and know you'll never be safe again."
Kael's voice was a low snarl as he half-shifted, his black wolf rippling under his skin. "Thorne! Fall back formation!"
