The howl cut through the Forgotten City like a blade, echoing off the ancient stone structures.
Lyla’s heart slammed against her ribs.
They were here.
The pack had come for her.
But they had no idea what they were walking into.
The Marked Ones tensed, their silver eyes flickering with something unreadable anticipation, wariness, or maybe something deeper. The leader, standing beside Lyla, tilted their head slightly as if listening to something only they could hear.
“You knew they would come,” Lyla said, her voice steady, though her pulse was anything but.
The leader smiled, slow and knowing. “Of course. The bond of a pack is strong, even when built on a lie.”
Lyla clenched her fists. “It’s not a lie.”
“Then why did they keep the truth from you?”
She had no answer.
And that terri
