The next morning, the sky was pale and cloudless, the sun casting golden light over the forest as Althea and Kaden walked along the narrow trail near the lake. The cool air smelled of damp earth and pine, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Althea felt like she could breathe.
Kaden walked beside her, his silver eyes scanning the trees with a calm intensity. “You’re quieter than usual,” he said after a while, glancing at her.
“I’m just… thinking,” Althea replied, her fingers brushing against the pocket where she’d tucked the torn page.
“About what?”
She hesitated, her steps slowing slightly. Her wolf growled softly in the back of her mind, urging her forward. “Tell him,” it said. “You won’t find the answers alone.”
Althea stopped walking, her heart pounding as she reached
