FAYE
I liked the mornings best.
They were quieter, calmer—before the territory fully woke up, before responsibilities and eyes and expectations settled on my shoulders like a mantle I couldn’t take off.
The air was cool against my skin, the kind that filled my lungs cleanly and made each breath feel intentional. I had chosen a simple workout today. Nothing strenuous. Just a walk along one of the inner paths of the territory.
Alexander would have preferred I stayed closer to the pack house. He always did. But this path was safe too. Well-patrolled, and familiar. And I needed the movement, needed to feel my body working with me instead of feeling like something that needed constant guarding.
My pace was unhurried, measured, the way Helen had taught me—move as though you are listening
