The midday sun barely managed to pierce the thick canopy of the forest surrounding the pack house. Moisture hung in the air like an ancient whisper, and the leaves crunched beneath Helena and Leofrik’s feet with a reverent slowness as they walked in silence, heading deep into the heart of the woods.
It was the same place where, weeks earlier, they had competed together during the hunt. But now there were no shouts or laughter, no pack’s breath at their heels. Only the murmur of the trees—and the awareness that each step brought them closer to a truth hidden among roots and shadows.
Helena moved with watchful eyes and alert senses, guided more by memory than by any visible path. She wore light clothing in muted tones, her hair tied back with a simple ribbon, as though trying not to draw t
