*Leo*

The wind shifts the moment I step outside, laced with pine, smoke, and something darker stirring beneath it all. I pause at the threshold, my eyes sweeping the horizon as the trees whisper in an uneasy rhythm. My instincts have kept me on edge for days now—something is undeniably wrong.

Marek finds me before I call for him. He’s always been two steps ahead.

“We need to talk,” he says without preamble.

I nod and jerk my head toward the fire pit. It’s unlit, but the circle of stone feels like the perfect ground for discussing strategy.

We sit across from each other, both of us still in human...