ge of

tself seemed to stretch, the quiet after the storm a heavy weight between them. The spring, once glowing with dark energy, had returned to its

ped her to her feet. His silver eyes were wide with panic, his breath comi

y, brushing her damp hair fr

overtaken her moments before. Her head felt heavy, as if a thousand voices were whispering ju

ce hoarse. "I think... I thin

ntion of the curse. "It's not

, the calm after the storm, but she could feel the

ow-calm surface of the spring. "The curse is fighting back. It wo

ords settle in her chest like

ied, his voice low and determined. "The pack... they're already struggling

he could feel the pull of the darkness-the temptation to turn away from it all, to pretend

she said, stepping closer t

ng with a mixture of gratitude and somethin

em. They didn't need words to communicate anymore. Emma felt it in the way their hands brushed, in the way

t in thought, his mind clearly occupied with what they had learned. Every few steps, he

stant sound of wolves howling in the night. The sound

t worse?" Emma asked, her voic

d. The curse is feeding on the pack's fear, on the division between us. The more w

rd from him since the night they had met, but she k

she asked. "Why is he so d

bout power. He wants to take control, to use the curse to force us all to

esn't that mean the pack is

curse is broken, the pack will be free of its chains-but they won

heart heavy with worry. "Do they know about

the details from them, because I don't want them to panic. But Luka

o?" Emma asked. "H

t him. We have to take him down

into the horizon. The sky had cleared slightly, but the tension in the air was palpable. Emma's heart was pounding

as they reached the front door of the

rembling slightly. "I'll

itting in small clusters, their faces drawn and weary. Some of them looked at Kael with a mixture of respect and fear, as though they, to

the room behind Kael. She had always felt like an outsider

yes scanning the group. "We need to talk,"

lent, and all ey

riness, perhaps. "The curse is stronger than we thought. It's not just the full moon that's affe

car across his cheek, stood up. "And what do you

. We've already started a ritual, but the shadow wolves won't stop comi

ar the murmurs of doubt, the unease in the air. They didn't fully understand, a

no choice," he said, his voice hardening. "Eithe

lders of the pack. And Emma, despite the fear clawing at her chest, knew that this was the mom