Chapter 17 — The Bond Forged in Fire
They do not return to the pack.
Kael makes that decision the moment his feet hit the forest floor and the night air fills his lungs again. The escort wolves gather fast, bloodied but alive, eyes sharp with questions they do not voice.
“We’re not going back,” Kael says.
No one argues.
Lyra leans against him as they move, exhaustion finally sinking its claws into her body now that the danger has passed. Her shoulder throbs. Her ribs ache. But her mind is clear.
Too clear.
“She wanted you to choose,” Lyra says quietly as they walk. “That was the trap.”
Kael’s jaw tightens. “She underestimated you.”
Lyra huffs a weak breath. “She always did.”
They stop at an abandoned stone outpost just before dawn. Old wards still cling faintly to the walls—broke
