CHAPTER 2: THE TRUTH IN THE TREES

The father opened the back door of the car.

“Get in. Now.”

Daniel didn’t move.

“You expect me to trust you?” Daniel said. “After this?”

A low growl rolled through the trees, closer now. The wolves were no longer shadows—they were approaching the edge of light.

Their father lowered his voice.

“I know what she told you,” he said. “I know what you heard me say.”

Daniel froze.

His father stepped closer, slow and careful, like approaching a frightened animal.

“I never said we’d be better off without you,” he said. “I said it about her.”

Daniel’s mind stuttered.

“That night you heard us arguing,” his father continued, “Vera wasn’t talking about sending you away. She was talking about making sure you disappeared completely.”

Emma whimpered.

The father pointed into the forest.

“I didn’t bring you here,” he said. “I’ve been tracking her SUV for two days. She dumped you off here because this place has no signal, no roads, no witnesses.”

A pause.

“And because people who come here… don’t always come back.”

A branch snapped violently to their left.

A wolf stepped into view.

Then another behind it.

Yellow eyes.

Silent jaws.

Waiting.

The father pulled something from his pocket.

A flare gun.

“Inside the car,” he ordered. “Both of you. Now.”

Daniel hesitated one last second.

Then Emma collapsed against him.

That broke whatever was left of his resistance.

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He lifted her and moved.

The wolves lunged forward.