al

ination. No plan. Only

eal. The trees loomed above her like sentinels, their trunks thick and ancient, bark gnarled and blackened with age. Roots

ed on thorns, the fabric tugging at her as if the forest itself wanted to keep her. Her breath came in

uldn't

, the silence woul

ind. Not the kind

nd that whispered Cassian. The kind that clawed at h

eath the skin. She gritted her teeth against it. It was lik

oothing. Birds shifted high in the canopy, unseen. A fox darted across her pat

The forest was alive, yes but

ust anything that co

the quiet satisfaction of knitting wounds and easing pain. Healing had never aske

assia

f his skin. The pain as his teeth sank in. The g

emony. Not w

ct. Raw and

earth, her hands scraping against bark and stone. Pain flared, sharp and

nd her eyes. She

e for saf

ere no safe

-

ss

, long after the last trace of her

escent compound lay still, the stone walls holdi

lent as always, but his pr

e," Cassian said

slowly. "You

es

hen why didn't yo

tightened. He

your

kno

ould've

the words bitter on his

an growled, "if you'd

d. Truth cut sh

afer out

lls

, boots crunching on gravel,

n didn

't about her sa

ar that hollowed

monster who bit her. The Alpha who let the Council st

that she wouldn't

-

al

atchel felt like it carried stones instead of herbs and

ds. It was cold enough to sting. She drank slowly, then splashed it

g water. Wide brown eyes. Tangled black cur

him," she whispered

r shoulder pul

st

ept w

dflowers, violet, pale blue, ghostly white. At the center stood a ring of stones, weathered an

subtle but present. Like

ct told her

er pulled her forward. Past

ed into t

crossed the thresh

rmer. Soft

com

her like a wave, heavier than anything she'd fe

self, arms wrapped t

ered to the stones.

est, for on

-

now

the trees, a pair of

ient circle, the moss accepting

is wa

from the

er. The marked one.

eneath the edge

na

to them of he

want to see her. Wou

st... h

nto the trees, h

at you're ma

-

al

ke to

ng. Not ru

vo

le. Huma

tively for the small dagger hidden in her boot, a gift fro

e of the trees, cloaked i

eet, blade in han

ed his head, watching her

d who y

l no

, he stood before her so fast h

d, voice deep and smooth, laced with

the knife. "And y

don't even know wha

no

ing a slow step back.

hed her j

said, shrugging. "That place is

he was gone-vanishing in

g, once warm, t

-

ss

evad

osed his eyes, h

him like wildfire, how his wolf surged forward without permission.

had seale

dn't been

was the

over his face, raw w

ed to f

ot for politics. Not e

couldn't feel w

e, he feared the bite ha

een the

darker than either

-

al

black did

redleaf trees, the same direction he'd come from. Her pace was slower now, cautious. N

d. Trees thinned. The undergrow

he fore

rself at the edg

aken by time. Vines twisted through what had on

epped

o the heart of the ruin, the m

ped, st

e came from

wolf-girl

ight. Silver eyes. Crossed arms

late,"