POV: Araya
The journey back to the Direwilds takes a day and a half. Araya runs in wolf form, pushing herself to cover the distance as quickly as possible.
Her heart aches. Not for Jasper, but for the time she wasted. The days she spent away from Lucian and Ronan, chasing closure she could have found without ever leaving.
As Araya crosses into Direwolf territory, she slows. Exhaustion finally catches up to her. She's been running for hours without rest.
Araya shifts back to human form and dresses in the spare clothes from her pack. Then she approaches the cabin on foot.
It's late afternoon. The sun hangs low in the sky, casting long shadows across the snow.
Araya's stomach twists with nerves. She doesn't know what she'll find when she arrives. Doesn't know if Ronan meant his ultimatu
