Hermosa pov

I had just made the poor girl's suffering worse: first, as the pack's exploited maid, and now, a sacrifice to some beast Rapheal claimed was just beyond the trees.

The air here was cold and quiet, trapped beneath the thick tops of the cursed forest. Every tree looked dead, and the ground was a damp mess of old leaves that muffled sound. This heavy, silent place felt like it was watching us.

"I can't let her go there!" I told him fiercely, my eyes locked on Lucy.

"There's ...