She knocked back his hold and hit with all her might, screaming with every attack and blow. Her powerful hooks carried everything she had. Zev bore it all until she couldn’t move anymore.
Her feet staggered, and Zev caught her. He braced for more tears, but there were none left. Dyna steadied herself with a deep breath and straightened up. Her chest labored with heavy breaths, and there was only fortitude on her face. Laced with determination.
That strength made him so proud.
She wouldn’t sink into the waves like he did.
She wouldn’t bend.
At the same time, seeing her like this made him sad. Because his sweet cousin was no longer the same. She had endured so much pain it had sharpened her into a blade. The softness was gone, and so was her innocence. It’s what Zev had wanted to protect her from, but he couldn’t prevent the hardships of life any more than he could prevent time from stopping.
And he also didn’t need to.
He saw the predator growing inside of Dyna, and his wolf surfaced to acknowledge her.
“We are a Pack,” he said. “All we need is each other.”
She nodded.
The others came to join them outside.
“All right.” Lucenna’s eyes glowed with magic as she faced off with Dyna. “My turn.”
CHAPTER 5
Dynalya
The door to Dyna’s new chambers creaked open as she stepped inside. She brought her pack and knapsack to the chair by the fireplace. The room was dark and chilly, covered in dust, but it was hers. It wasn’t tainted by any memories. There were no familiar scents here but stale air.
Here she could rest.
Or maybe that was what she pretended. Because no matter how much Dyna pushed herself to forget, there was no mistaking the vacancy in her soul. How odd that in such little time, she had become dependent on it. That the presence of another could change the very essence of her being.
Her life had transformed so much since she left North Star. She had been a different person before she met him. Then there was the person she became with him. That bond had felt so permanent she hadn’t imagined who she would become without him.
Dyna still didn’t know.
She looked down at the object in her hands. It was wrapped in a cloth, hidden away as her own little secret. Dyna brought it to the round table set up in the corner and placed it in the center. With a gentle tug of her fingers, the cloth fell away, revealing the water mirror. There was much she could do with something like this.
She could speak to whoever she wished.
Spy on whoever she wished.
What remained of her conscience warned against going down such a path, but Dyna hardly heard it. She no longer worried about being good. Would it be so wrong to take advantage of this …advantage?
She stared at the water mirror for a moment, taking in the beautiful reflections of the iridescent plating. She poured water into the bowl and added a sprinkle of salt. Her fingers slowly stirred the surface, creating several rings as she let her mind wander to the one she wanted to see.
Maybe because she was lonely or spiteful or simply reckless, she thought ofhimfirst. The spiraling water clouded with color until it cleared to reveal a room she’d never seen before.
And it was destroyed.
Broken furniture, torn books and scrolls, and shattered glass were scattered across the floor. Her gaze fell on the one sitting against the wall, with his head in his hands, his hair and clothes a rumpled mess. Her pulse drummed at the sight of him, her mind struggling to accept he was truly there. But he was.
His head lifted, and he looked up.
Right at her.
Dyna jerked backwards from the mirror. Her feet tripped on the edge of the rug, and she caught herself on a chair, her heart hammering against her ribs. She didn’t move, didn’t breathe or dare make a sound, but there was no pretending.
