Jefferson's POV
The fire consumed everything around me, flames dancing closer to my flesh, the scorching heat becoming unbearable. My wolf clawed its way to the surface, howling through my consciousness, demanding control. I surrendered to the beast within. Metal restraints shattered, timber splintered, and we exploded through the cabin's wall, launching into the darkness moments before the inferno swallowed what remained.
Cool night air slammed into me like a physical blow, crisp and biting. There was no time to waste. My paws hammered the earth as I tore through the forest, each ragged breath searing my lungs.
Death had visited me before.
I recognized that sensation, the bone-deep chill, the infinite emptiness that stretched endlessly, dragging me deeper into an abyss of nothingness. Like plummeting through space, drifting further from everything that defined my existence. But just as the shadows threatened to claim me completely, something yanked me back.
