The hybrid’s roar shook the clearing, vibrating through my bones. Dust drifted from the shattered crater behind us, curling through the air like smoke from a dying fire. Jax pulled me to my feet, his grip tight and urgent, eyes locked on the creature stalking toward us with slow, deliberate steps. Every movement it made seemed too calculated, too aware. It learned from every attack we threw at it. Its double eyes flickered with hungry intelligence.
“We need to move,” Jax said, voice low. “Now.”
Zack growled as he limped back into position beside us, still in wolf form. His golden fur was matted with dirt and streaked with blood, but his stance remained firm. Hazel steadied herself against a tree, her fingers still glowing faintly red. She was shaking, her knees threatening to give out, y
