|| Lilac’s POV ||

The woods smelled of damp earth and pine, the afternoon sun filtering through the canopy in golden shafts that painted the forest floor in flickering light. Birdsong drifted through the trees, mingling with the distant rush of a creek. It was peaceful here— far from the packhouse, far from prying eyes.

Endora’s words echoed in my mind. "Stay close to nature. Train your body. Let it remind your wolf what she is fighting for."

A twig snapped behind ...