Julian*

The forest deepens around us, dark and dense. Branches snag our fur as Xamara and I sprint toward the Gleabhain River. I can smell the fight before I see it: blood, fear, and churned earth, all of it sharp in the cold air. The clash of bodies carries through the trees in violent echoes. My warriors are engaged with something, snarling and striking with full force, though I still can’t tell who or what they are facing. All I know is that it is powerful, and the situation is escalating fast. I tell them we’re coming, angling toward the sound, ready to break into the fight, but Mason’s voice...