A Father's Nightmare

ROMAN

I'd never moved so fast in my life. One moment I was scanning the forest's edge, feeling uneasy about something I couldn't name—the next, Fabian's scream ripped through the night air like a knife.

My heart stopped. Then exploded into a thundering rhythm that drowned out all other sounds.

No thought. No hesitation. Just pure, primal instinct.

I shifted mid-stride, the familiar burn barely registering as bones cracked and reformed. Kael emerged, snarling and wild, claws tearing into the forest floor as I charged toward the sound of my son's voice.

My son. My cub. Taken.

The world narrowed to scents and sounds—Fabian's fear, sharp and acrid in my nostrils. Two unfamiliar wolves, their scents intertwined but distinct. They were moving fast, heading deeper into the woods, away from the campsite.