ce was not comforting. It was watching. Testing. Every rustle in the brush, eve

essed f

constant. The nausea, too. Her body fought her with every step. But her s

e now. Focus

it had to be away. Away from Kael. Away from

t beneath trees, and drank from rivers. She avo

moon was barely a sliver

e scent of lave

rm

hrough a canopy of woven branches. She lay on a bed of m

ps appr

Silver hair was braided tightly. Her eyes

n said. "But not far en

sit up. Her

are

uary of rogues. We do not kneel t

ria's vision. H

ong. I'm...

urther. She knelt, plac

e stronger

he rules of packs. Wolves who had escaped abuse, abandonment, or exile lived here i

omed with cau

where she could hear the water sing at nig

eart woul

ce haunted

ted. Who watched her when he thought she wasn't looking?

ver known, but ma

ften drifted

whispered to her child. "An

ched with

now. Across borders.

scent. Question

ed to reas

e, Kael. L

er was alwa

's m

pha anymore. It was desperation. Guilt. A hollow

n cruel. H

faile

only piece of softness i

he

ma

edemp

stop until

e never fo

she sent

ad t

ose woods, a heart he d

tiness he couldn't name, a wrongness he couldn't fix. He didn't know where she had gone. He didn't e

ission. But she had slipped through his fingers like moonlight, carrying not just her p

ild. H

fists, jaw tig

A woman he had dismissed as nothing more than a political convenience now ran

rved to be le

ot let the sto

he still

quiet defiance- Aria-was his, eve

burn the fore

ed to know

od at the edge of the river, th

eyes and let

nd distant rain. But there was something more in it-something older, deeper. The woods s

The roar of her own heartbeat when she ran through the night. But here, beside the stream, surrounded by

he-truly breathe-for

no memory of it. In the bending trees, she heard courage calling. And

whispered, even if

anym

wind reminded her that freedom didn't always come with noise. Sometimes, it cam

rything tried

icked gentl

t time since fle

t a victi

coming som

oth

urv

lf r

ld would so

contin