The forest was alive with sound — engines growling in the distance, drone rotors slicing through the cold night air like mechanical wasps. The faint red beams of scanners flickered across the tree line, sweeping for heat signatures. Every time the light passed too close, Isabella’s heart stopped.

Dante moved ahead of her, silent and sharp, his body built for survival. He scanned the terrain like a predator, calculating, always one step ahead. She could barely see his face in the dark, only the glint of his eyes when he looked back to make sure she was still behind him.

“Faster,” he whispered. “They’re triangulating.”

She nodded breathlessly, clutching the...