(Olivia's POV)
I don't know how long we've been running.
Time feels slippery… moments stretch and snap like rubber bands as my feet pound against the forest floor. All I know is that I can't stop.
Not with the pack behind us.
Not with Jay beside me, risking everything for a girl who can't seem to keep herself together.
Branches whip at my face as I stumble over exposed roots, my breath hitching in short, ragged gasps.
The air is thick with the smell of pine and damp earth, but underneath it all, I can still catch the faint metallic tang of blood and magic.
My blood… My magic.
It clings to me like smoke, a beacon that screams, Here we are! Come and get us!
"Keep moving!" Jay's voice cuts through the chaos, sharp and urgent. He doesn't look back, but his hand tightens around mine, practically dragging me through the jungle.