The forest felt wrong.
Still. Watching. Holding its breath the way a creature hides moments before it lunges. Snow clung thick on the branches, the weight bending them low, but not a single flake fell. Even the wind had stopped. The only movement came from the huge footprints carved into the snow ahead of us.
They were fresh.
Too fresh.
Talon crouched at the edge of the first print, his breath rising in sharp white clouds. He brushed his fingers along the edge without touching the melted center. The snow there steamed faintly, as if something far too hot had stepped there moments before.
"This is too big." he said quietly.
Ryn stood beside him, his eyes narrowing. "Even in full shift, no wolf makes a print this size."
Kael walked around the perimeter of the track, measuring each str
