Serena’s POV

The forest air was thick with the scent of damp earth and rotting leaves, a reminder of how far we were from any place of comfort or safety. The sun had long since disappeared behind a thick canopy of twisted branches, leaving only faint shafts of light to guide our way.

My senses were sharper than ever. Every shift in the wind, every crack of a branch, every faint scent carried on the air seemed amplified, as though the forest itself was whispering to me.

“She’s close,” I said with my voice steady but low.

Zone tightened his grip on his weapon and his jaw clenched. “I hope...