Chapter 23

EVOLET

Without any question, I followed Cadell into the night. He led the way silently, his frame steady as we weaved deeper into the forest. Not too deep—just far enough to be away from the pack and out of sight from the guards. The moon hung low, veiled by restless clouds, casting pale silver shadows on the forest floor.

I had never gone this far into the woods before.

It wasn’t that I couldn’t—but I never had the mind to. The forest had always seemed off-limits to me. With the pack horn going off anytime danger approached, the woods had taken on the tone of a forbidden zone. Mysterious. Dark. And now—unfamiliar.

But maybe tonight would change that.

“Do you still want to see me in my form,” Cadell teased ahead of me, “or are you too scared of the woods?”

“Scared? Please.” I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “I’m not a kid.”

I walked just behind him, being extra careful not to trip over hidden roots or rocks scattered across the uneven path. Every