The confession echoed on the deserted road, enveloping us in a truth I wasn't prepared to face. My eyes met Caleb's, seeking answers beyond immediate understanding.

“What?” I whispered, my mind struggling to process this revelation. Caleb sighed again, apologies lingering in his expression.

“When I met Zora, years ago, something inside me inexplicably connected to her. I was marked as the destined wolf, meant to protect her, to serve her,” he explained, with a certain ...