Clark POV
After that night, after the howl, after the flash of red eyes beneath the flickering streetlamp, I knew.
Even if I couldn't see them, they were there. Watching. Listening. Breathing down my neck like a shadow I couldn't shake. It was as sure as gravity, as sure as my own heartbeat.
I'd been given a week. A week of pretend freedom. A week of pretending to be human again. And already I felt the countdown ticking. Tick. Tick. Tick.
Every morning the sunlight felt thinner. Every laugh with Clare felt heavier. Every breath at home felt like a stolen one.
I stopped waiting for rescue. I stopped telling myself I'd figure out a way out. I knew this was my last time back home. I knew I wouldn't see them again.
