The school bus rumbled along the back roads of Beacon Hills, carrying students on what was supposed to be a routine field trip to a remote nature reserve. The teacher droned on about plants and ecosystems, but you were too busy noticing how tense Allison Argent looked. Her bow case rested beside her, hidden under a jacket. She’d insisted on bringing it—“just in case.”

At first, everything seemed normal. The group hiked deeper into the woods, sunlight dripping through the canopy. But then the screams started. A chaperone was pulled into the trees by something fast—something you couldn’t see. Panic erupted as the rest of the students scattered in all directions.

You barely managed to stick with Allison as she grabbed your arm, her eyes sharp and steady despite the chaos.

“We’re not dealing with wolves,” she whispered, pulling an arrow from her quiver. “Whatever this is, it’s hunting in packs.”