The forest no longer felt like a refuge when I entered it that night.
It felt like a confession.
Every step I took beyond the pack’s boundary loosened something inside me, a knot I had pretended was duty, patience, and strength. The trees leaned close, their ancient trunks whispering secrets I was no longer sure I wanted to hear. Moonlight filtered through the canopy in pale ribbons, touching my skin like a question.
I did not call for Krager.
I did not need to.
He came the way storms do, unannounced yet inevitable.
“You shouldn’t be here,” his voice said from behind me, low and steady, threaded with something that made my spine tighten.
I turned.
He stood between two massive oaks, dark cloak melting into shadow, crimson eyes catching the moon like embers refusing to die. The scent
