Chapter 23

Serena POV

The forest was too quiet.

Even the wind refused to move.

Branches hung low, silver light sliding across wet leaves, the moon caught between drifting clouds. Serena walked through the silence, her boots brushing against moss, the scent of pine and damp earth heavy in the air. Her wolf stayed quiet. It had been quiet for days. Maybe weeks.

She didn’t count anymore.

The Nightshade border lights were distant now — only a faint glow bleeding through the dark. She liked ...