Chapter 13 - The Trap

• Alina
• The tension in the air is palpable. I can hear the dull pounding of my heart in my chest as I follow Damon through the dark maze of the forest. The moon shines faintly on the path, casting moving shadows that seem to dance around us. Every sound, every rustle of leaf seems to amplify the anguish gnawing at my insides.
• Damon walks in front of me, his back broad and taut under the dark shirt he wears. His shoulders are rigid, his posture feline, ready to pounce. He's concentrating, staring straight ahead. The smell of the forest is mingled with the metallic scent of blood. I know he's already started to prepare the ground.