Chapter 45 – Lucien Strikes
The pack had not been whole since the night of the Moon Trials. Seren knew it. Every step through the settlement was a reminder of it—every averted glance, every whispered word that died when she entered a room. Even those who did not openly despise her held her at arm’s length, as though proximity might stain them with her curse.
She bore it with quiet endurance, though the weight pressed heavier each day. Kaelen shadowed her, always the shield, always the anchor. His presence kept the sharpest barbs from striking too deep, but even he could not still the storm rising within the pack.
And Lyra… Lyra was fire walking on legs. Every glance between them burned, every word cracked with brittle heat. Since the Trials, Lyra had spoken little to Seren, but her sile
