POV: Aphrodite
The snap echoes through the trees before the scream.
I'm running before my brain catches up, Direwolf instincts propelling me forward. Cassian's scent hits me first—blood, sharp and metallic, mixed with the acrid tang of disturbed earth. Branches whip past my face as I crash through the underbrush, the forest floor soft with fallen leaves that muffle my footsteps.
I find him crumpled near the western perimeter, one leg twisted at an angle that makes my stomach turn. The trap he was setting lies scattered around him, steel teeth glinting in the fading light like a predator's grin. His face is pale, jaw clenched so hard I can see the muscle jumping beneath his skin. Sweat beads on his forehead despite the cool evening air.
"Don't move." I drop to my knees beside him, hands already reaching for the injury. The ground is damp beneath my knees, soaking through my pants with cold moisture.
