KAEL'S POV
The scream carried through the forest like a blade dragged across bone. It wasn't just sound—it was hunger, raw and endless, and every nerve in me lit with instinct.
Ayla stiffened at my side. Her fingers twitched against mine, but she didn't let go. Brave as ever, even when fear pulsed off her in waves.
I drew her close, voice low. "Don't breathe too loud. Don't move unless I tell you."
The trees groaned, bending toward the scream's source. Their hollow mouths opened wider, spilling ash that clung to my fur, to her skin. The scent burned my nose. Metallic. Wrong.
It was here. Not the swarm. Not the shadows. Something new, birthed from the cocoon's leak.
I crouched low, tugging Ayla down with me, our bodies pressed against the ridge's cold stone. The wind shifted, carrying the reek of rot. My hackles rose.
Her voice brushed my mind through the bond, faint but steady. Kael… it's calling to me.
My teeth bared in silent rage. Then don't answer.
