CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The scent of pine needles and moss saturates the air as I step over a fallen log, the boundary marker that has kept me safely ensconced within the territory of the Solar Crest Pack my entire life. Beside me, Love's breath comes out in short, determined puffs, her resolve a palpable force that matches my own. Our paws tread on unclaimed land, each step a silent vow—there's no turning back now.
"Keep your senses sharp," I murmur to Love, though the advice is as much for myself as it is for her. The adrenaline coursing through me has heightened every sense, every instinct honed to a razor's edge. I can feel the thrumming heartbeat of the forest around us, the quiet chatter of nocturnal creatures, and the distant rush of a stream somewhere to our left.
We move with purp
