Chapter 297. Shadows of the Past

Zach breaks the silence, his voice low and hesitant. "You know, Lara, we really don’t have to do this alone."

Lara turns to look at him, seeing the worry etched into his features. "I know, Zach," she says softly. "But this is something I need to face head-on. I've come too far to back down now."

Zach nods, though he doesn’t seem entirely convinced. His eyes stay on the road, but Lara notices how his jaw tightens and his knuckles whiten as he grips the steering wheel a little too hard. He’s always been protective, sometimes to a fault, and she knows this night is testing his limits. She knows so much about him now, thanks to the witch's eye spell she cast on him.

When they arrive at the meeting location, a sense of foreboding settles over Lara. The chosen building is an old, abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city—a place where deals are made in the shadows, and trust is as fragile as glass. The werewolves are already