Trapped
Samantha's P. O. V
Red lanterns floated in the sky, forming a pathway of fire under the gibbous moon. The Pack gathered under Nightwhisper, the only tree that had managed to grow in this deserted land.
On this sacred night, they stood in circles, offering silent prayers… not just for the dead, but for the lives they had to leave behind.
The heat of the lantern burned my skin, but somehow, I felt numb to the pain. There was so much hurt, so much hate, and so much fear all around me.
They were a pack bound by grief, and I was only an outsider, watching with curiosity.
“Hey,” Ashford said, nudging my shoulder. “I had to spend the past two hours sweet-talking a stubborn old lady just to get you the last available lantern. Are you planning to stand there and stare at it all day?
