POV: Araya
Araya stands in the cabin, watching Lucian sleep. The baby's chest rises and falls peacefully, unaware of the turmoil surrounding him.
Unaware that his mother is about to leave.
The decision sits heavy in Araya's chest. She knows she has to go. Her wolf won't stop pulling at her until she answers the call.
But leaving Lucian tears at her heart.
Lyra enters the cabin quietly, her golden eyes soft with understanding. "You're really going."
"I have to," Araya says. Her voice is barely above a whisper. "I don't understand why, but I have to."
"Your wolf knows something you don't," Lyra says. She moves to stand beside Araya, looking down at the sleeping baby. "Sometimes our instincts understand truths our minds refuse to accept."
Araya's throat tightens. "Will you watch him?
