Chapter 138

Serena’s POV The forest air was thick with the scent of damp earth and rotting leaves, a reminder of how far we were from any place of comfort or safety. The sun had long since disappeared behind a thick canopy of twisted branches, leaving only faint shafts of light to guide our way. My senses were sharper than ever. Every shift in the wind, every crack of a branch, every faint scent carried on the air seemed amplified, as though the forest itself was whispering to me. “She’s close,” I said with my voice steady but low. Zone tightened his grip on his weapon and his jaw clenched. “I hope so,” he muttered. “I’m tired of chasing shadows.” Ardan placed a reassuring hand on Zone’s shoulder with his steady presence a calming force. “If Serena says she’s close, she is,” he said simply. I nodded as my Wolf mother instincts guided me. This power was still new, its limits and purpose unclear, but I trusted it. “She’s been here for a while,” I said as my eyes scanned the forest. “There’s magic ev