_Mira's POV_
I stared out the window as we drove in silence, the world outside blurring into a haze of greens and browns. My parents sat in the front, their whispered conversation barely audible over the sound of the car engine. I didn’t bother trying to eavesdrop; my mind was too crowded with questions, fears, and an overwhelming sense of unease.
The old woman’s house was farther than I expected, tucked away at the edge of our pack’s territory. The roads grew narrower and the forest around us became denser. It struck me as odd that someone would choose to live so far from the rest of the pack. Was it by choice? Or was she hiding from something—or someone?
When the car finally slowed, I noticed the willow tree she had mentioned. It was enormous, its branches long and heavy, almost lik
