That night Jax took me beyond the borders, the moon was thin and sharp, like it was watching instead of lighting the way.
We did not speak as we walked. He led, I followed. That had become our quiet rule. Derek had not asked where I was going. He had not noticed. Or maybe he had noticed and chosen silence. I did not know which hurt more.
The forest deepened the farther we went. The air changed. Less pack. More wild.
“Stop here,” Jax said at last.
I did.
The place felt old. Not dangerous, but honest. No walls. No rules written by councils or crowns. Just earth, trees, and the pull inside my chest that had grown stronger since the Trial was announced.
“You feel it, don’t you?” he asked.
I nodded. “My wolf is restless.”
“She should be,” he said. “You’ve been caging her.”
I frowned. “
