The night still trembled.
The air around the forest was heavy—thick with power and the metallic scent of blood. The mark still glowed faintly between them, a living tether of light connecting McKenna and Azeo in a pulse that echoed through the trees.
But the forest wasn’t quiet. It was alive. The earth beneath them breathed, roots thrumming like a heartbeat. Wolves from every direction howled into the night—some in awe, others in confusion, a few in fear. The pack bond, their Alpha’s link, had shifted. They felt everything—his exhaustion, his rage, his pain, and something else they didn’t understand.
And far beyond the forest, the witches felt it too.
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Azeo’s body ached. His muscles screamed, his vision blurred—but nothing compared to the hollow ache in his chest. He was drained, h
