I can’t kill humans.
And I need to protect Cormac.
We need to get back to the ranch, to continue my search.
To find her.
The thought of my mate—still out there, still waiting—gives me the anchor I need. I pull back from the wolf's rage, fighting my way through layers of instinct and bloodlust. The shift reverses—bones cracking, muscles contorting, fur receding into skin.
Pain lances through every cell as I force the change, but I embrace it, use it to focus my scattered thoughts. When it ends, I'm on hands and knees in the dirt, naked and covered in blood, but human again. Myself again.
"Fen!" Cormac's urgent whisper breaks through the lingering haze. "We need to move. Now!"
I look up, taking in his strained expression, the sweat beading on his forehead as he struggles to maintain the concealment spell. Beyond him, through gaps in the trees, I catch glimpses of movement—three or four figures in hunting gear, working their way toward us.
He extends a hand to help me up. "I can't hold it much longer."
I stagger to my feet, legs still trembling from the shift. "How close is the river?"
"Half mile, maybe less." He yanks his pack open, pulling out spare clothes. "Put these sweats on. Quick."
I drag the clothes on, not bothering with underwear, just pants and a shirt that will get us to the river without me being completely exposed. The fabric sticks to the blood still coating my skin, but there's no time to clean up.
"Over there," a voice calls from further up the path. "Over by that clearing!"
"Your glamour?" I ask Cormac, already knowing the answer from his drained appearance.
He shakes his head. "It’s down. We run for it. Now."
We abandon the path, crashing through underbrush in the most direct route to the river. Branches whip against my face, thorns tear at my borrowed clothes, but I barely feel the stings. Behind us, shouts of alarm rise as the hunters discover the bear carcass.
"What the hell did this?"
"Fuck’n hell, something tore its throat out!"
"And ate some of it—look at this!"
Their voices fade as we put distance between us, but not fast enough. Cormac's breathing grows labored beside me, his stamina pushed to its limits by the magickal exhaustion.
"I see water!" I point ahead where sunlight glints off a winding ribbon of river.
"Rings," Cormac gasps. "Ready your ring."
We burst from the treeline onto a narrow strip of rocky shore. The river curves gently here, deep enough for our purpose. I pull the silver ring from my finger, Cormac doing the same beside me.
"There! Over there!" A shout from the forest behind us. "Who are you?" They've spotted us.
I surge forward at the challenge, claws erupting from my fingertips, teeth sharpening to points against my lips. The change ripples beneath my skin, bones already beginning to crack and realign. The urge to turn and fight roars through my blood.
"Fen, no!" Cormac hisses, grabbing my arm. His eyes widen at the sight of my half-transformed face. "Hold it together—just ten more seconds!"
I dig my claws into my own thigh, using pain to anchor myself. The hunters' footsteps thunder closer, heartbeats hammering in my ears. A growl builds in my chest—low, deadly, impossible to suppress.
"Now!" Cormac drops his ring into the water. I follow suit, the silver bands disappearing beneath the surface with barely a ripple.
One heartbeat. Two. Three.
"You there!" The voices draw closer. "Hey! You killed that bear! Where’s the giant beast of a dog you had?"
