Ivy’s Pov
By nightfall, the sky above our kingdom had bled into hues of deep navy and cold silver. The moon, full and high, cast shadows across the cobblestone path as I followed Father quietly. Neither of us spoke. We didn’t need to. I could feel the weight of what was coming in the way the wind whispered through the trees and how my wolf clawed restlessly beneath my skin.
He said we were going somewhere… secluded. A place where few dared to tread unless they had a purpose. My heart thudded with anticipation, maybe even fear but I buried it. I wasn’t weak. I was ready. At least, I thought I was.
The path narrowed as we walked, twisting through a thick cluster of pine and thorn trees, until we reached a low, ancient gate covered in vines. Father pushed it open without a word, the iron g
