They had to move.

  Kael stood at the tree line, looking at the small town below them. They had walked for hours, leaving the waterfall far behind, traveling barefoot through the dense woods. The night had been cold but quiet, the only sounds were their breathing and the occasional snap of twigs underfoot.

  Nova hadn’t said much.

  Not that he blamed her. She had been through a hell of a lot in the past few days. Her first transformation, nearly getting killed, the mate bond, plus a whole new world and way of life crashing down on her suddenly. A lot had happened. That she was still standing and fighting to survive spoke volumes about her as a person.

  Kael rolled his shoulders, stretching out the dull ache that still lingered from the arrow wound. The bleeding had stopped, the wound had already healed, but the soreness remained. Pain was an old companion, it kept him sharp.

  He had thought about their next move carefully. If they travelled together, two large wolves would draw too much attention. The Shadowmarks were already in the area. He didn’t know if they were actively tracking them, but he didn’t want to take any risks. They would have to move quickly, and although their human forms were not as fast, they were easier to hide.

  They crept down towards the edge of town. Kael moved through the shadows, his breath steady, measured. Everything was still. A few weak streetlights buzzed along the cracked pavement, casting long shadows. Most houses were dark, their owners long asleep. This was the kind of town where people left their doors unlocked at night. Still, his instincts were sharp, honed by years of survival. He scanned the buildings ahead, eyes locking onto their target, a small, rundown convenience store on the corner.

  No cameras. No alarms. Easy.

  Nova was close behind him, her footsteps light, but he could feel the raw, unfiltered energy rolling off her. She was settling into this life, but she was still learning.

  Kael reached the back entrance and tested the handle. Locked. Not a problem.

  Bracing his palm against the frame, he pressed his weight into it at the right angle and twisted. The lock snapped with a soft metallic crack. Kael caught the door before it could creak open, listening.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Nothing.

  He glanced at Nova and nodded. “In.” She slipped past him, stepping into the dimly lit store. The air was stale, thick with the scent of old coffee, cleaning chemicals, and plastic-wrapped junk food. The hum of an old refrigerator buzzed from the back. Shelves were stacked with canned goods, prepackaged meals, and the kind of gas station essentials meant for travelers passing through.

  Kael barely glanced at any of it.

  His eyes went to the side wall where a rack of cheap touristy clothing sat, folded and forgotten. He sifted through the sizes, grabbing a large black “got bourbon?” t-shirt that would fit well enough and a pair of dark grey sweats. Nova needed something too. He pulled an oversized hoodie and a matching pair of sweatpants from the pile and tossed them toward her.

  “Put those on.”

  She caught them with ease but didn’t move.

  Kael didn’t notice at first, already tugging the T-shirt over his head. But when he turned, he realized she hadn’t moved at all. She was staring at something.

  He followed her gaze. Behind the counter, half-buried beneath a stack of outdated lottery tickets, a newspaper sat open, its bold black headline burning into the dim air.

  “Tragedy at Black Creek Camp, Bear Attack Leaves Two Dead, One Missing assumed dead.”

  Kael’s pulse slowed. His eyes skimmed the words beneath the headline, but he already knew what they would say. Although the nature of the killings had been extremely violent, there would be no mention of it here. Incidents were usually wrapped up in a neat little lie, and marked as animal attacks or freak accidents because local authorities had no way to take care of the problem. It was easier to sweep it under the rug.

  She hadn’t moved. Her fingers curled tight around the fabric in her hands, her breathing slow, controlled. Too controlled. Kael knew that kind of stillness, it was the calm before the storm. He stayed quiet, watching her, waiting to see if something would crack.

  Nova’s hands twitched. She moved toward the counter, slowly, almost absently, and picked up the paper. Her fingers curled around the edges. Then, without hesitation, she tore it to pieces..

  Kael didn’t stop her.

  She let the pieces drop onto the counter, exhaling through her nose like she was trying to push something out of her chest, then swept the pieces off the counter in one motion, like she was wiping away the memory.

  Nova’s gaze flicked to him. Her voice was quiet, even. “Let’s go.”

  Kael held her stare for a second longer, then nodded.

  They pulled on their stolen clothes, slipping out the back door and into the night, leaving the torn paper where it fell, like they had never been there at all.