The world stirred around me, not with a gentle awakening, but with the insistent rumble of a hungry stomach—a sound so profound it resonated within my own, eliciting a low, demanding growl. My eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the soft, cool embrace of the morning air, and I slowly pieced together my surroundings. I lay nestled on a plush bed of grass, my head cradled by Rowan’s steady chest, our bodies forming a relaxed ‘T’.

‘We shouldn’t be here,’ a sharp whisper echoed in my mind, the voice of my wolf, Echo. I knew she was right, but for once, I chose to ignore her. This patch of wild, untamed grass, surrounded by a dense treeline that magically parted above to offer a perfect view of the sky, was my sanctuary. It was close enough to home to be accessible, yet far enough to grant me the solitude I craved. Rowan’s presence was the only company I didn’t mind here; we could spend hours talking about everything and nothing, or simply losing ourselves in the constellations, anything to escape the weight of the coming days.