Run! Linus roared through their mind link, and in an instant, both he and Wisteria transformed, their human forms shedding away to reveal powerful, snarling wolves.
Linus launched himself at the man with lethal force, aiming his fangs at the stranger’s throat. But the man was quick, and his staff met Linus's jaws with a brutal swing, cracking against his muzzle. Pain flared, but Linus ignored it, adrenaline fueling his relentless assault. He slashed and lunged, driving the man away from the direction Wisteria had fled. The clearing erupted into a chaotic dance of strength and brutality. Linus anticipated powerful magic, bracing for spells that never came. Instead, the kidnapper wielded his staff like a weapon of war, blocking blows and delivering punishing strikes with uncanny skill. Ever
