I couldn’t just sit here and wait. Taking a steadying breath, I pushed the door open.
The hinges groaned in protest, but the cool forest air hit my face, grounding me.
I limped out onto the soft earth, my boots sinking into the mossy ground.
The wind rustled through the trees, carrying the scent of pine and damp leaves. For a moment, I let it soothe me, my muscles unclenching just a little.
I took a few careful steps, testing my balance. My leg held. The ache was there, but it was manageable.
I walked further, my confidence building with each step.
There was something liberating about moving under my own power, even if it wasn’t graceful.
The cabin disappeared behind me as I made my way toward the trees. A sharp crack in the distance made me stop cold.
I straightened, every nerve firing to attention. My breath stilled in my lungs, and I listened.
The silence stretched, but my gut twisted with certainty. Someone was here.
Gael wouldn’t make a sound like that. He moved like a shadow, fluid and silent. This was different. Deliberate, almost taunting.
I turned, my eyes scanning the trees. Every shadow seemed to breathe, every branch a potential threat.
My pulse hammered in my ears, and I cursed under my breath. My leg was almost healed, but almost wouldn’t cut it if things turned violent.
Then I saw him. Declan stepped out from behind a tree, his expression carved from stone.
His dark hair was tousled, his clothes marked with the grime of travel, but his cold and calculating eyes were as sharp as ever.
He looked at me, and something flickered there. Pity? Regret? I couldn’t tell, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
“Declan,” I said, my voice low and wary.
My fingers curled into fists, though I knew I didn’t stand a chance if it came down to a fight.
“Asher.” He spoke my name with a sigh, like he was tired already.
He took a step closer, his hands loose at his sides.
I swallowed, forcing down the instinct to run. “How did you find us?”
He tilted his head, his mouth a thin line. “I’ve been tracking you for days. You’re not exactly hard to find.”
I tensed, my weight shifting onto my good leg. “So what now? You finish what those other hunters started?”
Declan’s jaw tightened. “If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead already.”
“Comforting.” My voice dripped with sarcasm, but the tremor in my hands betrayed me.
I didn’t want to show fear, but it was clawing up my throat anyway. He sighed again, a weariness in his eyes that made him look older.
“I’m not here to kill you. I’m here to warn you,” Declan said.
“Warn me?” I laughed bitterly. “That’s rich, coming from the guy who tried to put a bullet in my head.”
His eyes darkened. “That wasn’t personal You’d do the same in my shoes…if you were your old self.”
I didn’t deny the accusation. Declan was right.
