Lila hadn't seen the blood, but she'd felt it. Even now, long after the sprint through snowfields and hidden mountain trails, her body still trembled with the memory. Not from exhaustion but from everything she hadn't done. She sat near the outer thermal chamber, where the steam still curled from natural cracks in the rock. The air was warmer here. Almost humid. But her skin wouldn't stop crawling.
Mira had carried her half the way, four legs pounding, breath heavy, muscles rippling under fur. Lila had clung tight to her neck, eyes shut, the wind slapping her face. They didn't speak when they came to a stop. They didn't need to. Whatever happened behind them… was left behind. But not really, not for her. She should have fought, should have stayed. Instead, she'd been carted off like some
