Orion’s POV
We chose the busier route on purpose.
It was longer, winding around Varsen city and small towns before reaching the Willow Pack’s territory, but it was safer this way. Traveling through the forest shortcut would have been faster, yes, but it also left us completely exposed. And with Nirma lurking somewhere out there, ambushes were a risk I wasn’t willing to take.
Safety came first. Always.
The rhythmic hum of the engine filled the silence, but it did little to drown out the storm raging in my chest. I sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window at the passing scenery—market stalls bustling with early traders, sleepy houses still cloaked in morning mist.
My jaw clenched as I thought of Amanda. The memory of her arms wrapped tightly around me when I left still burned f
