_Dorian's POV_
The sun crawled across the sky as the day stretched on.
Nothing changed.
The valley remained quiet. The atmosphere was still and deceptively calm.
I paced near the ridge, my boots grinding softly against the dry dirt. My eyes kept scanning the trees, searching for anything out of place. But there was nothing. Not a movement. Not a sound. No sign of Aaron. No trace of his men.
And yet, the feeling wouldn’t go away.
That strange tightness in my chest. That itch beneath my skin. My wolf, Shadow, didn’t speak much after earlier. But he didn’t need to. I could feel his tension. His unease echoed mine.
It was like something was pressing down on me. A weight I couldn’t shake. The forest looked normal, but it didn’t feel normal. It felt like a mask. A pretty lie.
By late aft
