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My wolf has gone completely still. Watching. Waiting. The same way it did when I first stepped onto this property.

Something about Sayer isn't simply unusual. It's familiar. I just can't explain why.

Outside, a crow lands on the porch railing. Then another. Then a third. They don't caw. They don't move. They simply watch the house.

Carys notices them a second later.

"That's… creepy."

"Stay away from the windows," I say.

"They're birds."

"I know."

"You think they're dangerous?"

"I think anything behaving differently deserves attention."

She sighs.

"You've become incredibly suspicious."

"I've always been suspicious."

"You've become better at hiding it."

That earns the smallest smile. Then the lights flicker. Once. Twice. The lantern on the side table flashes to life automatically as the power cuts out. Darkness settles over the cottage.

Only for two seconds.

The electricity returns. No one moves. No one speaks. The silence feels… expectant. Then every phone in the house vibrates simultaneously. Mine. Carys's. Sayer's. Three different devices.

One identical notification. No sender. No number. Just three words.

HE FOUND YOU.

The message remains on the screen for exactly five seconds. Then disappears. Not deleted. Erased. As though it had never existed.

I don't ask if they saw it. I know they did. Because Carys has gone completely pale. And Sayer has taken an unconscious step backward. Toward us. Toward safety.

Without thinking, I move until I'm standing between him and the front door. Protective.

Instinctive. My wolf approves immediately. I don't question it anymore. Whether this mystery is natural or supernatural, one fact has become impossible to ignore.

Someone is watching this house. Someone knows Sayer is here. Someone knows Carys is involved. And now…

They know I'm here too.

I look from Carys to Sayer. Neither of them says a word. They don't have to. The decision has already been made.

"I was only planning to stay long enough to interview both of you."

I set my phone on the table.

"That plan has changed."

Carys raises an eyebrow.