POV: Araya
Three days pass after Dorian's discovery. Three days of waiting. Watching. Preparing for the inevitable.
Ronan doubles the patrols around their territory. Lyra and Selvara take turns standing guard while Araya cares for Lucian inside the cabin.
But no attack comes.
The waiting is worse than the threat itself.
"Maybe he won't tell them," Lyra suggests one evening. She sits by the fire, mending one of Ronan's torn shirts. "Maybe he decided it's not worth the trouble."
"He'll tell them," Araya says quietly. She holds Lucian against her chest, feeling his steady heartbeat. "Men like Dorian don't keep secrets. They use them."
Selvara nods grimly. "She's right. The question is when they'll come, not if."
Ronan enters the cabin, snow dusting his dark hair. His golden eyes are t
