of comfort, now felt hollow, echoing with memories of her mother. Sara's laughter, the smell of her favorite tea, the w

ry and grief. He had said very little in the past few days, letting her pro

yet firm. "What your mother told you about your father isn't just a s

what if they don't accept me? What if he doesn't even want to see me?" Her

ldn't have asked you to do this if she didn't believe you could. You're strong, Elara. And you need to fi

loor, unable to meet his gaze. "I don't even know wher

, notes, hints... anything that might guide you to the Wave Pack.

ps of forests, notes about the borders of the pack's territory, warnings about the wolves,

tly. "And so do I. Follow this. Trust yourself,

oat, and she swallowed

nt, she let herself be the little girl who had always needed her mother's

stepped back, lifting her suitcase with a shaky hand. The door to her apartment felt heavier th

always more acute than anyone else's, were on high alert. The smell of rain-soaked asphalt, the faint hum of early traf

ngs, and the memory of Sara's hand in hers. She was leaving behind everything familiar, everything that had anchored her to the human world. The

l was tucked under her arm, its maps and notes a lifeline in a world she didn't yet understand. The wind rustled thr

, far away, she felt the presence of her father, of the pack, of the life she had been born into but had never known. Her wolf stir

k her closer to the unknown, to the pack, to the father she had never met. Every heartbeat reminded her of the destiny that ha

a vast woodland, dense and dark beneath the fading light. She looked at the trees, at the shadows stretching

ther, and toward facing a world that would not be kind, but that might fin

r than ever now, a low hum that vibrated through her bones. She whispered into the wind, as if h

streaking her face. "I'm coming, an

t her attention-a deer bounding away, shadows shifting just beyond her sight-but her focus was elsewhere. Her thoughts w

first true stirrings of her wolf instincts as the shadows deepened. The pull was no longer subtle; it was a tug at her very soul,

ey had only just begun, but for the first time in her life,

alized that every step forward was a step she had always been meant

gain, her voice steady this time, carrying hope, determi

. I'm coming... and