Chapter 21: The Breaking Point

Lucien’s heart barely beat. He knelt in the dirt, his body convulsing as the bond tightened, the shade crouched beside him, its black eyes devouring every inch of him. The pack fought behind him — he could hear their snarls, the clash of claws against roots — but it all felt distant. Like he was sinking. Serena’s voice cut through the haze. “Lucien, fight it!” she screamed, slashing her dagger through a twisted vine. “Don’t you dare give up!” Lucien tried to move. Tried to breathe. But the forest had its claws in him, and it was dragging him down. The shade leaned closer, its grin stretching too wide. *“Let go,”* it whispered, its voice a chorus of distorted echoes. *“The forest is your home. You belong to us.”* Lucien’s vision swam, memories flickering like dying embers — his mother’s laughter, the way Serena had looked at him the first time he told her he loved her, the feel of the pack’s bond thrumming in his chest. He didn’t want to lose that. Didn’t want to lose *her.*