77

PHIN

I jolted awake with a strange tightness in my chest and an odd light seeping into my eyes. The place didn't feel right. It wasn't the packhouse.

I pushed myself up, the pull of this unfamiliar place tugging at me. It felt too clear, almost unreal.

Then I noticed a woman who could've been mistaken for Cassy at first glance standing near a pond nearby. The blonde hair, fierce eyes...it all matched. But something ancient and otherworldly set her apart. I blinked, trying to make sense of it.

This wasn't Cassy, and this wasn't a normal place.

I scanned the area. Teddy was beside me, rubbing his face like this was something he'd seen before. He didn't look surprised, more like he'd resigned to whatever this was.

"What's going on?" I muttered.

He sighed and sat up. "We're in Leila's world," he grumbled. "She pulls wolves here sometimes."

"What?" I frowned as I stood up. "So you're telling me that's Cassy's Mom?"

The woman turned to us. "That would be me," she announced with a smile.