It was still at the clearing, the eerie quietness creeping in like a thick fog after battle. Serena panted, her breath coming in quick gasps, her chest rising and falling as the adrenaline of the fight began to evaporate from her system. The rogue wolves were spread out over the ground: some were huddled in defeat, while others started to turn back into their human forms, moaning in pain. But now there was nothing left but deafening silence—broken only by the wind ruffling the trees and the distant hoot of an owl.
Lucian stood next to her, breathing in deep, steady breaths. His stare didn't waver from Serena, breathing heavily as she surveyed the mayhem around her, heart racing, not from the exertion, but the chaos bubbling beneath the surface. A whirlpool of thoughts swirled her mind, her mother's words ringing through her head.
