Chapter 38 Obstacles

• THE CHILLING PRESENCE of the shadowy figure watching them from the periphery of the Shadowbloom clearing sent a spike of unease through Waldemar. His Alpha instincts screamed danger, a primal warning that transcended the exhaustion and fear that had been gnawing at him for weeks. He scanned the dense foliage, but the figure had vanished as silently as it appeared, leaving behind only a lingering sense of malevolence.
• "Did you see that?" Waldemar muttered, his voice low and urgent, his eyes still fixed on the spot where the shadow had been.
• Selene, having just secured the Shadowbloom Nectar, was still reeling from the intense magical backlash of confronting her own fears. Her hands trembled slightly as she capped the vial. "See what, Waldemar? I was… I was a little preoccupied." Her voice was strained, her energy depleted.