Chapter 77
Kael did not realize he had crossed into another territory until movement appeared in front of him. His body reacted before his thoughts could catch up. He stopped abruptly, his claws tearing into the ground as the force of it cracked the earth beneath him. Dust and small stones scattered outward, and for a brief moment everything went quiet.
Then he saw them clearly.
Three wolves stood ahead, tense and alert, their attention fixed on him. They had not been expecting him, and that much showed in the way they held their ground instead of advancing. The moment they sensed what he was, the air between them shifted. It became heavier, charged with instinct and warning.
Kael straightened slowly, trying to steady the storm inside him before it reacted again. His breathing was uneven, but he forced himself to speak anyway.
"I am not here to fight," he said.
