The tension in the clearing reached a boiling point. Zain stood in the center, a dark god weighing the lives of everyone present, his crimson eyes flicking between Rhys, Cian, and the two highest-ranking wolves of his pack. The bond between us was humming, a tense, vibrant wire waiting for me to make the final call.
"You are all insane," April whispered.
She looked between Jade, standing defiantly beside the wolves, and me, my hands still protectively covering my stomach. The realization that she was utterly outnumbered, outmatched, and stranded in a forest full of apex predators finally broke through her rigid Hawthorne pride.
But April wasn't just a hunter; she was a tactician. She knew when a battle was lost.
