ra's

swallowed

e, exile ahead of me. The moon that once felt warm now looked cruel, watching silentl

the packlands felt li

e guard snapped,

rough my legs. My breath hitched, but I refused to cry. I wouldn't

yanked m

e out. Rogue territory be

ed. They tore exiles apart for sport. Without a pack's

re safer," I whispered. "

like pity flickering across his

ce. "Whatever power you unleashed-no wolf wan

isted. Terrif

n't feel

lt h

lo

ant

ly the echoes stil

ght was filled with strange sounds-rustling leaves, distant

ne, she w

protection

n mirro

marker where pack territory ended

as far

centuries of warning claws. Beyond it

w up here. My mother's grave is he

rd looked awa

hat happened at the ceremony... n

't do a

ard snapped. "I saw an Alpha thrown back ten f

"I was rejected in front of

like

liced deepe

ds stepp

-please don't leave me here.

can

t shift wit

s the

of terror wa

't just c

me out p

"Run east. There's a human town past

don't?" I

dn't

oking back. Their footsteps faded. The

s al

ompletel

t me like a predator dec

silence-long, hungry, clos

myself to

," I whispere

ready, but stopping meant dying. Branches snagged my dress. The shackles

f urge

We must surviv

bout survival. It watched me

her

os

unded so hard I felt dizzy. Every shadow looked lik

pt m

lurred in

gave out, but I forced myself to climb. By the time

saw lights-small

man

washed

t... t

A sharp pain shot up my side. My vision blurred. T

d at the r

t my face. My lungs burned. Tears fin

ground. "I wasn't supposed to live like

till echoed

't wa

is w

oddess mad

ce burned it

he scent of rain and distant smoke from the town. For a moment

h

s rus

tst

iberate,

ma

nsed. Some

g. My vision swam, but I saw a silhoue

ered. Moving with

o

hu

si

ontro

wo

rse-a

rged th

I rasped. "I-

li

hetic

opped a fe

gh to reveal a sharp jawline, broad shoulders

rm-

o

te

No... im

art l

are you?"

dn't

spine hit a tree. My breath hitched. His scent-da

e sweeping over my bruises,

His voice was deep, rough, al

"Don't com

Like approaching a

ey exile yo

mate rejected me... and beca

narrowed.

They shackle

in his ja

ned, cold and b

nd shackled your magic?" His voice

y did he sound

u?" I whisp

hing me, but close enou

ould trust," h

eath

rm-gray eyes-held some

gnit

he k

been search

I ma

ackles again, fury flas

se on you," he said. "Not wi

"You... you

e locked onto mine. "Eve

pt down

you?" I

lowly to

is thrown away." His voice softened. "Someon

rt stu

ot forceful, not deman

me," he said. "Or s

rumbled

d at hi

hadows a

ble safety he

hispered,

lls li