Lyla
I stumbled back, my legs giving way beneath me as shock rippled through my body. It couldn't be—it was impossible. Yet there he stood, just as I remembered him.
"Caius?" His name escaped my lips as a breathless whisper.
Ramsey's former Gamma, Gamma Darius's son, Caius, rushed to my side. He reached for my arm, his face creased with concern. "Lyla, are you okay?"
I swatted his hand away, scrambling backward. "Stay away from me! Leave now, or you won't like the result."
My mind raced with possibilities. Another fox shapeshifter? A ghost? Some trick of the Dark One's magic?
"It's me," Caius insisted, keeping his distance but holding his hands up to show he meant no harm. "I promise you don't need to worry. It's really me."
I glanced at the former Ferals surrounding us. None of them were snarling or showing signs of aggression toward Caius. They would sense it immediately if he were an imposter or under the Dark One's influence.
