MAYA
I couldn’t erase the image burned into my mind: the smug satisfaction on my parents’ faces, and Isla’s faint, self-satisfied smirk as the warriors from the Silvermere Pack led me away.
They didn’t try to hide their relief. They were almost gleeful, watching me go like a problem finally solved.
I didn’t look back.
But their expressions stayed with me, carved into the back of my skull like scars I’d never be free from.
Hours passed in tense silence. My wrists ached from the firm restraints, though the guards didn’t oppress me.
Then the vehicle slowed.
I leaned forward instinctively, and the moment I saw the looming stone archway, my breath caught.
Highfang Peaks.
I gasped softly.
I’d only heard whispers… tales traded in hushed voices of its grandeur and untouchable power. The
