Chapter 128

** Ryder’s POV ** The forest tilts, just a little. A strange shimmer catches my eye, like the moonlight is bending oddly around the trees. I blink hard, shake my head, and the world rights itself again. The heat inside me spreads. It crawls up my spine, pressing into my skull, making my heartbeat pound too loud in my ears. My wolf snarls low, uneasy, but even that sound feels distant, muted, like he’s behind glass. My chest tightens. I’ve never felt this kind of separation from him before. Usually, he’s there, a steady, instinctive presence under my skin, his emotions mingling with mine. But now… there’s silence. He’s not gone exactly; he just feels distant. I push through the link, trying to reach him, but it’s like shouting into fog. Something’s very wrong. “Parker,” I send quietly, hoping the unease doesn’t bleed through the words, “let’s head back toward the cabins. Something’s off.” He slows beside me immediately, concern spiking through the link. “What kind of off?” I start to re