CHAPTER TEN
My feet pad softly on the forest floor, a carpet of fallen leaves and fertile earth muffling my steps. The woods are a sanctuary, a place where the chaos of pack life fades into the background. Here, I can breathe. The canopy above whispers secrets, each leaf fluttering like the soft heartbeat of the forest.
I pause by a particularly gnarled tree, its bark rugged under my fingertips. My connection to nature is more than just a fondness for green spaces; it’s visceral, a pull in my blood that ties me to each root and branch.
"Show me," I murmur to the wilderness, not sure what I’m asking for, only that there's something within me reaching out, yearning to intertwine with the wild.
As if responding to my call, the sinewy vines hanging from the tree begin to shiver. My breath
