The forest blurred around Ashina as she ran.
Her wolf surged forward, demanding she shift, but she fought it back. If she shifted, she'd be fasterbut she'd also lose the ability to scream, to call for help, to speak. And right now, her human voice was the only weapon she had.
Run. Just run. Get to the houses. Get to people.
Her lungs burned. Branches tore at her clothes, her skin. The moon cast silver shadows that twisted into shapes that looked like him, making her flinch and stumble.
Behind her, she heard nothing. No footsteps. No breathing. No pursuit. But she knew he was there.
The bond pulled at her chest like a fishhook lodged in her ribs, growing tighter with every step she took away from him. It sang with his presence, close and getting closer, a predator tracking prey that could never truly escape.
