Chapter 19

• AUBREY
• I hover at the edge of this strange part of the forest, my wolf form tense with indecision. The ancient trees tower above me like silent sentinels, their massive trunks gnarled with age and wisdom. Patches of ethereal blue fungi cling to their bark, casting an otherworldly glow across the moss-covered ground. The air here feels different—heavier, charged with something I can't identify, like the moment before lightning strikes.
• Knox's scent lingers in the air—cedar and storm rain—not fresh but from last night, trailing deeper into this forbidden space. It draws me forward despite the warning prickle along my spine telling me I shouldn't be here. My paws sink into the soft, springy moss that carpets the forest floor, each step silent as I advance cautiously.