It had been years since you’d last seen Allison Argent. The two of you had grown up together, inseparable as kids, sharing secrets under the oak tree in your backyard and sneaking out to the lake in the summers. Then she was gone—pulled into her family’s world of hunters, missions, and danger you could barely begin to understand.

Now, she was back.

The knock at your door was soft, hesitant, but when you opened it, there she stood. Her dark hair was pulled back, her eyes sharper than you remembered, carrying a weight that childhood had never placed on her shoulders. There was dried blood on the sleeve of her jacket, a fresh scar across her temple, and the bow you knew so well strapped to her back.

“Allison?” Your voice cracked with disbelief.

Her lips curved into a faint, tired smile. “Hey. Long time.”