Four hours into their walk, Rhett came to a halt.
Stillness hit hard, abrupt, total. Not slow. Just stopped. Paw lifted mid-step, muscles locked tight. Ears turned like they caught sound from behind. Like a wolf hearing noise where quiet should rule.
Footsteps quieted under Sage's boots. Next to her, every muscle in Kieran tightened at once.
"What - " Sage began.
Fingers pressed hard against her lips. A sudden grip sealed her silence.
A sharp reflex almost made her snap at him. Her body shouted warnings - she hated hands where they weren't invited, silence forced upon her, strange fingertips brushing her mouth too coolly. Yet a flicker across Kieran's face held her back. Absence of pride. Lack of grip.
Fear.
Fear crept into Kieran Ashford, usually so steady, his features like stone, every move planned. A quiet tremor beneath a surface that never cracked.
His mouth began to shift, shaping silent syllables one after another. Stop. Stay still.
Sage didn't move.
She listened.
