face. She stirred, her body aching from the chaos of the night before. The events played in her mi

but the room was empty. Panic bubbled in her ches

ilas stood by a stream, his shirt discarded, revealing the scars that marked his

atched him, struck by the

without turning around, his

'd noticed. "You didn't wake me,

shaking the water from his hands. He turned to h

yes flicking to the scars on his che

se," he said

said, her voice firm. "You shou

s my duty. If I don't prote

shing against his arm. "Maybe it do

tly. "This isn't just a fight for survival. It's a fight for balance. The fore

ess his words. "But why you? W

ad they're not ordinary wolves. We're bound to the forest in way

tightened. "A

s said. "Corrupted by greed and hunger. They

"There has to be a way to stop them

for years. They're relentless. The only way t

rora said, determinati

he laughed, the sound low and rough. "Yo

ot just going to sit here while you put yourself in d

ression unreadable. "You have no idea what y

ra admitted. "But

ed into a faint smi

his movements silent and precise as he navigated the dense forest. Aurora

ilas said, glan

rora replied, gripping the s

w closer together, their branches twisting like skeletal fingers. The

" Silas said,

ip tightening on the

if a fire had burned there long ago. In the center stood a massive wolf

voice deep and guttural. "You

ords, Kael," Silas

rough the clearing. "And yet you b

stop her. "I'm not just a human," she said

ps curled into a sinister smile.

aid, stepping protectively in fro

it," Kael snarled

ir movements a blur of teeth and claws. Aurora watched in horr

ed Silas to the ground, his jaws snapp

he grabbed the flare gun from her belt and fi

ggering back and

as!" Auro

aring into the rogue's side. With a final, powerful st

est fel

dy, his chest heaving. Aurora rushe

aid, her voice bare

eyes filled with exhaustion and

g with a mix of pride and admira

dded. "F

ing that this was only the beginning. The bond between her and Silas had grown

Silas's world. And she knew she would do