POV: Aria
The forest had always been my sanctuary, a place where the wild spoke in whispers and the wind sang secrets only a wolf could hear. But tonight, there was no comfort in the trees. No peace in the stillness. The woods around me were too quiet, the air heavy like it knew what I’d done.
I had given up a part of myself to wake a bond Kael didn’t even want.
And now, I wasn’t sure what was left of me.
My wolf—my other half—was silent, curled deep inside, like a song cut short before the final note. I still felt her presence, flickering faintly, but it was as if a wall stood between us now. She was wounded, exhausted, uncertain.
Just like me.
I sat on a moss-covered rock near the old riverbank, watching the moonlight ripple across the surface. It was Kael’s favorite place once, ba
