The screech of impact. My body launched into the air, then slammed into the frozen earth.
Every bone felt crushed beneath the weight of the blow. Pain everywhere, all at once, like fire consuming my flesh.
Blood surged up my throat. I tried to howl for help but no sound escaped.
Through the haze of agony, a dark figure approached, backlit by the harsh lights.
"Next time, don't interfere with wolves you cannot afford to challenge."
A pause. Then, quieter, almost a whisper against my failing ears:
"We killed your sire. We can kill you just as easily."
Footsteps faded into the darkness of the forest.
I lay on the frozen ground, unable to move, unable to shift, my wolf whimpering somewhere deep inside as consciousness began to slip away.
The communication crystal pulsed against my thigh, its warmth cutting through the haze of pain.
With every fragment of strength remaining in my broken body, I pressed my palm to its surface to accept the connection.
Raven's voice flowed through the magical link—honeyed, intimate, thick with want.
"Kael... I ache for you. Every fiber of my being yearns to be near you..."