We walked side by side for a while without speaking.
At first, it was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Ryder broke the silence first.
“So,” he said lightly, glancing at me, “how are you finding Crescent Dawn so far?”
I hesitated before answering. “It’s… different.”
“Different good or different bad?”
I shrugged slightly. “I’m still deciding.”
He chuckled. “Fair enough.”
We continued walking deeper into the trees. The further we went, the quieter it became. The sound of the pack house disappeared completely, replaced by rustling leaves and distant bird calls.
Ryder kept talking, asking small questions.
Where I came from.
How long I planned to stay.
What I thought of the pack.
How Killian and I met.
I answered carefully, keeping my replies short. I didn’t trust easily, and something abo
