Maya's POV

The forest welcomed me like an old friend. I moved through the darkness, my enhanced senses picking up every rustle of leaves, every snap of twigs, every breath of wind. The serum still burned in my veins, but it was different now. Controlled. Mine.

Behind me, the Blackwood pack territory was chaos. I could hear the shouting, the crying, the desperate attempts to organize and rebuild. Part of me, a very small part, felt guilty for leaving them in such a state. The rest of me ...