Chapter 44 Hunt In The Moonlit Wilds

• The forest east of the palace was restless that night. The silver moon, normally a guardian to the North, seemed veiled, its glow dimmed by shadows that slithered across the canopy like smoke. Wolves in the far distance howled uneasily—not in reverence to their Luna, but in warning of something unnatural stirring in their territory.
• Lucia walked at Kelvin’s side, the damp earth muffling their steps as their hunting party pressed deeper into the wilds. Their bond pulsed steadily in her chest, a thread of warmth she held onto as the trees closed in around them. Behind them, Ronald and Malcom strode in their half-shifted forms, claws glinting faintly whenever moonlight cut through the branches. Mark and the other warriors fanned out along the flanks, their senses heightened, sniffing out even the smallest disturbances in the air.
• Varian trailed near the rear, hood drawn low. Though he had sworn himself loyal to Lysandra’s line, suspicion clung to him like a second skin. Lucia caught the weight of his gaze several times, but Kelvin’s steady presence grounded her. Whatever this cloaked survivor was, he was also their only thread to the truth. For now.