Dean's POV
The moment we crossed into witch territory, everything felt wrong.
The air was thicker. Heavy, like walking through invisible walls.
The trees around us looked warped, twisted into unnatural shapes, their roots like clawed fingers trying to drag us under.
"Fuck," Kane muttered, his wolf on high alert. "It reeks of magic here."
No shit.
The witches didn't just live in these woods. They owned them.
They bent the land to their will, made sure anyone who entered without permission never left the same.
I should know.
I've killed witches before.
And they never die easy.
Still, we had no choice.
Elena was getting worse.
After what I saw in her mind—after that thing touched her, used her like she was just a vessel—I knew we were running out of time.
I clenched my jaw, pushing forward. "Stay sharp," I told Kane. "They already know we're here."
And I was right.
The moment we stepped into the clearing, they appeared.
Five witches.
