C20 The Red Hunt Begins

The forest lit from within. Fires flared between the trees—controlled, precise, not wildfire but signal. Shadows moved in waves through the flickering glow, too fast for human eyes, too silent for beasts. They hunted with purpose. Evelyne stood in the center of camp, her sword drawn, her wolf rising beneath her skin. Around her, the pack shifted—some to fur, some to fang, all to instinct