: Shadows on the Horizon
The sound of the howls shook Elena to her core. She hadn't heard anything like it before—the raw, guttural cry of a hundred wolves, all crying out at once, their voices laced with an emotion she couldn't quite place: fear.
Lucien moved first, his hand reaching instinctively for the dagger strapped to his belt. His entire body was coiled, like a predator sensing danger just beyond the door. "Stay here," he commanded, his voice tight, already heading toward the exit.
But Elena stepped forward, her magic flaring in response to the danger. Her power swelled inside her, wild and hungry. "No. I'm coming with you."
Lucien glanced back, his expression torn between frustration and something that almost resembled respect. "This isn't your fight."
Elena's eyes blazed. "Isn't it?"
