“I’m serious.” Her grip tightens. “The pack never appreciated you. With you gone, nobody ventures into the Wyvern Woods anymore. Our herb supplies are dwindling. They’re all scrambling now, realizing what they’ve lost.” A bitter smile crosses her face. “They’re ungrateful, all of them. You risked your life for the herbs they needed, and they treated you like garbage.”
“I never understood why they hated me so much,” I say quietly. “I tried so hard to be useful, to prove my worth—”
An uncomfortable expression flickers across Daciana’s face so quickly, I almost miss it. She looks away, her jaw tensing up.
“Daciana? What is it?”
“Nothing.” She stands abruptly, smoothing down her dress. “Just...leave it in the past, Astra. All of it. Focus on your future. Be happy.”
She moves toward the do
