Alera's Pov
The air in the Lycan Kingdom was thick with the scent of pine and earth as I walked through the dense woods, my steps light, but my mind weighed down by the constant pressure of training. Kael’s lessons, Lira’s encouragement, and the heavy expectations that loomed over me were starting to feel suffocating. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep up the act of pretending I belonged here.
"Focus," I muttered to myself, shaking off the dark thoughts that lingered like shadows. There had to be more to this life than training and surviving. There had to be a reason I was still here.
A rustle in the bushes snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned, instinctively reaching for the dagger I kept sheathed at my side, but stopped short when an old woman emerged from the trees. She was
