By midday the cabin walls started to feel too close.
Aria had eaten, nodded through a few stilted introductions, pretended she didn’t catch every half‑hidden glance thrown her way. Nightfall was quieter than Silvercrest, but it wasn’t blind. Word traveled fast in any pack.
The rejected mate of Silvercrest’s future Alpha had arrived on their doorstep. No one said it aloud. They didn’t have to.
When Lena passed her table for the third time with an armful of firewood, Aria pushed her bowl away.
“Is there somewhere I can… walk?” she asked.
Lena arched a brow. “Planning to run already? We haven’t even bored you properly.”
“I just need air that isn’t watched,” Aria said, more honest than she meant to be.
Lena’s grin softened into something almost kind. “That I get. Come on.”
Outside, the
