[Araya's POV]
Araya lies on the cold stone, her body broken and trembling. The emptiness in her chest where the bond used to be feels like a gaping wound, raw and bleeding. She can barely breathe through the pain.
The pack has begun to disperse, their whispers fading as they turn their backs on her. Some glance over their shoulders with pity. Others with disgust. Most don't look at all.
Araya tries to push herself up, but her arms give out beneath her. She collapses back onto the stone, fresh blood smearing across the ground.
Footsteps approach. Heavy. Deliberate.
Araya lifts her head, blinking through the tears and blood. Her vision clears just enough to see her father standing over her.
Eldric Varrow looks older than Araya remembers. His brown hair is grayer at the temples, his sho
