The deeper they moved into the forest, the quieter the world became.
The sounds of Nightfall territory faded behind them until the only noises left were the whispering wind through the pines and the soft crunch of earth beneath their boots.
Raven inhaled slowly.
The forest smelled alive.
Pine sap.
Cold stone.
Damp moss.
And beneath it all—
Prey.
Her wolf stirred immediately.
She slowed her steps slightly as instinct sharpened her senses.
"You smell it," Marcel said calmly beside her.
Raven blinked.
"I didn't say anything."
"You didn't need to."
His gaze remained forward as they continued walking through the trees.
"Your posture changed."
Raven frowned slightly.
"You're very observant."
"It's my job."
She glanced sideways at him.
Up close, Marcel looked even larger than she remembered from the lodge. His height alone made him intimidating, but the power in his movements made it clear why the Nightfall wolves respected him so deeply.
Everything about him radiated control.
Strength.
Authority.
And something else.
Something that made the strange warmth inside her chest stir again.
It settled low in her stomach this time.
Raven quickly forced her attention back to the forest.
Focus.
"You said this exercise was observation," she said.
"Yes."
"So you're studying how I hunt?"
"Among other things."
His tone was calm.
But Raven could feel his attention on her.
Studying.
Measuring.
The awareness made her slightly nervous.
They moved deeper into the woods until Marcel suddenly lifted a hand.
Raven stopped immediately.
The forest ahead had gone still.
Completely still.
Marcel crouched slightly and brushed his fingers across the forest floor.
Fresh tracks.
Deer.
Large.
Raven knelt beside him.
Her fingers hovered over the same tracks.
"That passed through recently."
"Yes."
"How far ahead?"
Marcel studied the surrounding trees.
"Not far."
Raven's wolf stirred again.
The scent was stronger here.
Her heartbeat quickened slightly.
"You take the left," Marcel said quietly.
"I'll circle right."
Raven nodded.
Then she paused.
"You trust me to hunt alone?"
Marcel's eyes flicked toward her.
"You survived Ironclaw."
"That's not the same thing."
"No," he said calmly.
"It isn't."
But there was something in his gaze that suggested he trusted her more than he was saying aloud.
Raven pushed the thought aside and slipped quietly through the trees.
The forest wrapped around her like an old memory.
This part felt natural.
Easy.
Her breathing slowed.
Her movements grew lighter.
She followed the deer tracks through the undergrowth until the scent suddenly grew stronger.
Closer.
Raven crouched behind a fallen log and looked ahead.
There.
A large stag grazed quietly between the trees.
Her wolf surged forward inside her chest.
Hunt.
Raven inhaled slowly.
Her muscles tensed.
Then she moved.
Silent.
Fast.
The stag noticed too late.
Raven launched forward—
The deer bolted.
Branches snapped as it ran.
Raven followed instinctively.
Faster.
Her feet barely touched the forest floor.
The wind rushed past her ears.
Her heartbeat thundered.
And suddenly—
Something inside her surged.
Power.
Wild.
Ancient.
For a brief moment her vision flashed gold.
The forest seemed sharper.
Clearer.
Her speed increased.
Too much.
Too fast.
The stag stumbled—
Then collapsed beneath her weight.
Raven froze.
Her breath came quickly.
Something felt wrong.
No—
Different.
She stared down at the fallen deer.
How had she caught it so quickly?
That had been… impossible.
Marcel arrived moments later.
He slowed as he approached the clearing.
His eyes immediately fell on Raven.
Standing over the deer.
Breathing hard.
Her dark hair slightly disheveled.
Her skin warm and flushed from the chase.
For a moment he simply watched her.
Then his wolf surged violently inside his mind.
Mate.
The instinct roared through him now.
Mine.
Marcel clenched his jaw.
But something else caught his attention.
The deer.
The size.
The distance Raven must have covered to bring it down.
Impossible.
"Did I do something wrong?" Raven asked quietly.
Marcel looked at her.
"No."
His voice remained calm.
"You were very efficient."
Raven frowned slightly.
"That didn't feel normal."
Marcel studied her carefully.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know."
She shook her head.
"It felt like something… pushed me forward."
Her words only deepened Marcel's suspicion.
His wolf remained restless.
Watching her.
Studying her.
Mate.
And something else.
Something powerful.
Something ancient.
They carried the deer back together.
Raven walked beside him again, though this time the silence between them felt heavier.
More aware.
At one point their hands brushed while adjusting their grip on the deer.
The contact lasted less than a second.
But Raven felt heat explode through her chest.
Her breath caught.
Marcel felt it too.
His wolf surged violently against his control.
Mine.
Marcel immediately stepped slightly farther away.
Distance.
Control.
Raven noticed.
But she said nothing.
By the time they returned to Nightfall territory, several other hunting pairs had already returned.
Claude stood near the training grounds speaking with Lucas.
His attention shifted immediately when he saw Raven walking beside Marcel.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Interesting.
Raven set the deer down near the supply rack.
Lucas walked over.
"Well," he said.
"That was fast."
Claude glanced between Raven and Marcel.
"Successful hunt?"
Raven nodded.
Claude's smile returned.
"I should have been your partner."
Marcel's gaze flicked toward him briefly.
Cold.
Controlled.
Claude noticed.
And smiled wider.
The game had officially begun.