Athena's pov
I should've shifted. Should've used my wolf form and torn through the forest at lightning speed. But I couldn't risk it. Not with the King's guards behind me. My wolf left a scent trail that could travel for miles. Human form was slower—fragile—but easier to hide. Easier to disappear.
So I ran.
Branches clawed at my skin, roots tried to trip me, and still I pushed forward, the pain dull compared to the roar of blood in my ears.
The howls behind me weren't warning calls anymore.
They were hunting calls.
They were close.
The King's personal wolves, his inner circle—monsters bred for nothing but loyalty and obedience. Not one of them would hesitate to rip me apart if ordered.
I ducked beneath a fallen log, slipping on the moss, my heartbeat slamming against my ribs. My muscles screamed, begging me to shift, to release the beast inside me, to run like I was meant to.
But I couldn't.
They would feel it.
