The tension in the clearing was suffocating. Sienna felt it pressing against her skin, curling around her like unseen chains.
Sienna sat on the edge of a fallen tree, her fingers digging into the rough bark as she tried to make sense of what had happened. The Shadowborn had recognized her. It had spoken to her. And worse… it had flinched when she fought back.
She had never been anything special. Just another orphan left behind by a war she didn't understand. But now? Now she was something else. Something dangerous.
Kael stood a few feet away, arms crossed, his jaw clenched. He had been quiet since the Alpha left, his usual sharp remarks swallowed by something deeper.
Finally, he exhaled and turned to her. "You okay?"
Sienna let out a hollow laugh. "Not even close."
Kael nodded, as if that was the answer he expected. He shifted his weight, his eyes scanning the treetops like he was searching for something unseen.
