Chapter54: The Tower in the Forest

*Leo* The wind shifts the moment I step outside, laced with pine, smoke, and something darker stirring beneath it all. I pause at the threshold, my eyes sweeping the horizon as the trees whisper in an uneasy rhythm. My instincts have kept me on edge for days now—something is undeniably wrong. Marek finds me before I call for him. He’s always been two steps ahead. “We need to talk,” he says without preamble. I nod and jerk my head toward the fire pit. It’s unlit, but the circle of stone feels like the perfect ground for discussing strategy. We sit across from each other, both of us still in human form, though I feel the wolf pacing beneath my skin. He does too—I can see it in the way his jaw clenches, in the tension vibrating through his shoulders. “He should’ve been back by now,” I say. Marek doesn’t flinch. “Missing three days.” I grit my teeth. “Too long.” “Just a standard sweep past the ridge, chasing fresh elk tracks. We both cleared the route ourselves last week. There were no sig