He leaned into her side, his weight becoming a literal anchor. His head kept dipping forward, jerking back up, his body trying to shut down while his mind argued with the hinges of his eyelids. “You can’t sleep,” she said softly. “I’m not,” he murmured. He absolutely was.
The forest changed as the temperature dropped. It wasn’t just darker; it was quieter in a way that felt deliberate. The wind seemed to hold its breath. Elle stopped. Owen walked straight into her back. “What?” She didn't answer. She listened. At first, it was just the thud of blood in her ears. Then—a shift. A weight settling. Not a crash. Just the sound of something heavy deciding where to put its feet. Her heart began to pound, her vision sharpening until the edges of the trees looked like knives.
“Did you hear that?”
