Chapter 34. The Wolf Within

Warmth returned in waves—not sudden, but creeping, like sunlight bleeding slowly through fog. Mira stirred beneath a heavy cocoon of cloth, the damp haze of sleep lifting by degrees. Her hand, sluggish and uncertain, brushed the edge of the blanket that covered her. The fabric was coarse, too broad in cut, smelling faintly of smoke and pine and something richer beneath it—the scent that had burned itself into her skin.

A man’s shirt.

His.

Kaelen’s.

She sat up slowly, blinking through the dim glow that filtered through the tent canvas. Her heart began to race before she could name why. Every breath she drew was laced with his scent—wild and grounding, threaded through the air, the cloth, her very skin. She shifted slightly, scanning the interior. Faint shadows moved across the tent walls outside, blurred shapes against flickering firelight. The forest’s breath moved through the fabric in soft, rustling sighs.

‘You’ve been out for half a day,’ said