She frowns. “But mama, the fountain—”
“We’ll come back another day with Caleb,” I suggest, reassuring her with a soft smile. “How about we walk through the woods instead? Just you and me.”
At this, her face lights up again. “Like before?”
I nod. “Just like before.”
Without any resistance, Astrid follows, and a touch of relief settles in me.
Slipping through the outskirts of town, we enter the woods, following an old trail I used to take whenever I wanted to avoid the locals. Pine needles crunch under our shoes, and sunlight flickers overhead through the leaf canopy.
Breathing in the familiar, damp air, it feels like home, even if I never truly belonged in the pack. Being out here steadies me. In the woods, I’m not being judged, and I’m not being compared to their image of what a Luna should be.
Here, I’m just Lila. Just Astrid’s mom, watching her laugh and step deliberately over roots.
She gathers little stones like precious treasure, darting ahead while she giggles. Then, she bends down to pick one up before holding it for me to see.
“Look! This one’s a heart.”
I smile and lean in to get a better look. “It is. You have a good eye.”
“You keep it,” she says with a smile. “For good luck.”
Softening, I carefully accept it. “Thank you, sweetheart. I’ll keep it right in my pocket.”
Satisfied, Astrid beams, then continues her rock search.
For a while, I almost feel whole again, like this is how things should be—how it had been for years.
Before it even has the chance to linger in my chest, the wind shifts, and dread trickles into my system.
Something prickles at my neck, causing me to bristle before I can even begin to understand what’s happening. That feeling doesn’t come from the bond, and I know it has nothing to do with Caleb. Instead, it makes every muscle go rigid.
Someone’s here.
Carefully pulling in another breath, I try to study every signature, but nothing familiar registers. Instead, it’s all wrong.
When a shiver tears through me, I turn around quickly and freeze.
Only a few steps away, a wolf emerges from within the trees, eyes set firmly on us while it slowly approaches, teeth bared in warning.
“Mama?”
Astrid’s voice lurches me out of it, and I back up, reaching for her hand.
“Stay close.”
“What’s wrong?” she asks, green eyes wide as she looks up at me. The sight alone makes my heart clench.
Before I can say anything, two other figures appear, but instead of wolves, it’s two men. Neither of which I recognize.
Astrid freezes, and I grip her tighter.
Wraith Peak. It has to be.
My heart slams against my ribs, and as hard as I try to keep calm, my breath turns shallow and feels almost impossible to regain.
“Stay back, honey,” I whisper, guiding Astrid behind me to shield her from them.
