The night air still carried the sharp metallic smell of blood and smoke. Maya’s lungs burned with every breath as she tried to steady herself. Her heart had not stopped racing since the moment the wolf appeared from the shadows.

Now, silence pressed in heavy, broken only by the faint crackle of torches outside and the low rumble of Jax’s breathing. He stood a few paces away, his shirt torn at the shoulder where claws had raked across his skin. The fabric clung to his chest, darkened with ...