The dawn painted the border in shades of steel and ash as we set out. Neither Kael nor I were used to restraining our strides, but the captain of the guard, Irina, kept us at a measured, almost ceremonial pace. It wasn’t clumsiness, nor was it slowness. It was the movement of someone who patrolled her own territory and knew every shadow of her forests.
But every passing minute struck my ribs like a hammer blow.
Selene was out there.
And with every step, it felt like we were getting further away from her, even if it seemed otherwise.
The lycan kingdom was nothing like the lands of Gold Moon. There was no fresh mountain scent, no wide clearings to run through. Here, the vegetation was dense, dark, as if every tree whispered secrets to intruders. The ground was soft, covered in moss and t
